Asia-Pacific Markets to Open Ahead Of Japan Payrolls, Spending Data
Asia-Pacific markets were mostly set to rise on Friday, with investors assessing November payrolls and household spending from Japan.
Real household spending in Japan fell 0.4% year-on-year in November, a smaller decline than the 0.6% decline expected by a Reuters poll of economists.
The decline was also smaller than the 1.3% decline seen in October. Average real income per household was 514,409 yen ($3,252.98) in November, up 0.7% from a year earlier. Japan's Nikkei 225 could move up or down based on futures data, with Chicago futures last trading at 39,620 and Osaka futures at 39,550 against the index's last close of 39,605.09.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng futures were last at 19,320, indicating a stronger open than the HSI's close of 19,240.89.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 started the day up 0.25%.
Overnight in the US, markets were closed on Thursday for the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, but traders will be assessing Friday's jobs data stateside, with nonfarm payrolls for December.
Economists expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday morning to report a 155,000 increase in nonfarm payrolls, down from a surprise 227,000 gain in November but roughly in line with the four-month average. The unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 4.2%. (AL)
Source: CNBC
