Investing.com - The S&P/ASX 200 has kicked off Friday's trading with a 0.3% dip, reflecting the mixed performance of US markets overnight.
ASX 200 Futures were also down by 0.3%.
The S&P 500 has been on a downward trajectory for the third consecutive trading day, weighed down by uncertainties surrounding interest rate hikes and a slump in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) stocks.
The comprehensive index retreated by 0.3%. The tech-dominated NASDAQ Composite also experienced a 0.9% drop, marking its fourth consecutive negative session. Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added approximately 58 points, or 0.2%.
Much of this year's unexpected rally has been driven by hopes that the Federal Reserve may soon put an end to its interest rate hikes, and possibly even roll them back if inflation decreases. However, the recent economic data has raised concerns that the Fed might need to continue increasing rates to temper the still robust US economy.
The most recent report on jobless claims suggests a tight labor market with initial claims dropping to their lowest since early February. This marks the fourth consecutive week of decline, according to the Labor Department's Thursday report. This follows the unexpected surge in the services sector, which led to a bearish session for stocks on Wednesday.
In the commodities market, Brent crude oil saw a 0.8% drop to US$89.92 a barrel, while gold experienced a slight increase, standing at US$1,919.80.
In the local bond market, the yields on Australia 2-Year government bonds rose slightly to 3.86%, with the 10-Year yield also increasing to 4.16%. US Treasury notes dipped, with the 2-Year yield at 4.95% and the 10-Year yield at 4.24%.
The Australian dollar strengthened slightly to 63.77 US cents, up from its previous close of 63.73, while the US Dollar Index was at 105.
Chinese stocks closed lower, with chipmakers and auto-related sectors pulling the market down. The morning's trade data highlighted an 8.8% drop in exports for August, reflecting the ongoing weakness in global trade. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. and NAURA Technology Group saw decreases of 8.3% and 5.7% respectively. Auto stocks also fell, with BYD Co. and Chongqing Changan Automobile losing 0.8% and 2.6% respectively. The Shanghai Composite Index closed 1.1% lower at 3122.35, while the Shenzhen Composite Index and the tech-focused Chinext Price Index fell 1.8% and 2.1% respectively.
Japanese stocks also closed lower, affected by losses in electronics stocks and renewed concerns over the Fed's tightening measures. Advantest and Murata Manufacturing fell 6.6% and 5.0% respectively. The Nikkei Stock Average dropped 0.8% to 32991.08. Investors are now turning their attention to US weekly jobless claims. The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond rose by half a basis point to 0.655%.