Investing.com - Asian Pacific markets kicked off the week in with a mixed performance, as US stocks rose on Friday, driven by growing expectation of rate cuts from Federal Reserve policymakers.
By 10:55 am AEST (12:55 am GMT) the S&P/ASX 200 saw a 0.4% dip, while the Nikkei 225 and the KOSPI 200 remained flat.
On Friday, US stocks experienced a climb as the slower growth in jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate spurred expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 67 points, or 0.2%, reaching 39,375. The S&P 500 rose by 0.5% to 5,567, and the NASDAQ Composite added 0.9%, hitting 18,352. Over the week, the DJIA rose 0.7%, the S&P 500 gained nearly 2%, and the Nasdaq climbed 3.5%.
In commodity markets, Brent crude oil experienced a slight 0.1% decrease to US$86.54 a barrel, while gold prices climbed by 1.5% to US$2,392.16.
Chinese shares ended the day with mixed results as investors await key political meetings later this month. Major stocks saw insurance and bank stocks leading the losses, with Ping An Bank dropping 2.8% and China CITIC Bank 3.1% lower.
Hong Kong shares ended lower, primarily impacted by tech and auto stocks. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended 1.3% lower at 17,799.61, while the Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1.45%.
In Japan, the Nikkei Stock Average ended flat at 40,912.37, with declines in auto and shipping stocks offset by gains in retail and pharmaceutical shares.
Indian shares closed lower, primarily dragged down by steel and auto stocks. The benchmark Sensex closed 0.1% lower at 79,996.60.
In Europe, the UK's FTSE 100 Index fell 0.5% to 8203.93. On the other hand, Germany's DAX rose 0.1% to 18,475.45, while France's CAC 40 slipped 0.3% to 7,675.62.