Investing.com - Asia Pacific shares opened to mixed reactions at the start of Friday's trading session, mirroring Wall Street's ongoing struggle to sustain modest gains.
The S&P/ASX 200 and Nikkei 225 experienced minor rises of 0.1% and 0.3% respectively, while the KOSPI 200 remained unchanged.
US stocks mostly trended upwards on Thursday, despite some gains being trimmed in midday trading. The S&P 500 posted its first positive session of 2024, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite continued to grapple with a four-day losing streak following a turbulent start to the new year.
On the earnings front, shares of Conagra Brands Inc (NYSE:CAG)and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) both fell following the release of their quarterly reports.
Bond yields resumed their upward trajectory, with the yield on the United States 10-Year yield inching closer to 4%, after settling at 3.905% on Wednesday.
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The ADP employment report showed that the private sector added 164,000 jobs in December, exceeding the expected 130,000. Weekly jobless claims reached their lowest level since mid-October, indicating a strong labor market.
In commodity markets, Brent crude oil fell 0.74% to $US77.67 a barrel, gold gained 0.90% to $US2,044.18, and iron ore fell 1.2% to $US140.95 a tonne. The Australian dollar was slightly lower at 67.01 US cents from its previous close of 67.29.
Chinese shares witnessed a decline, with the Shanghai Composite Index falling by 0.4% to 2954.35. Hong Kong shares remained flat, with gains in the energy and tech sectors offsetting losses in consumer goods and property stocks. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average fell by 0.5% to close at 33288.29 on the first trading day of 2024. Indian shares, however, closed higher after two consecutive sessions of decline.
European stocks rose as investors maintained a positive outlook despite the resurgence of inflation and interest rate concerns. The Stoxx Europe 600 advanced by 0.7%, and both the CAC 40 and DAX gained 0.5%. The FTSE 100 index closed Thursday up 0.5% to 7723 points, mainly supported by oil-exposed stocks.