Tokyo Tower (left) and commercial and residential buildings in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, October 1, 2022.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
SINGAPORE – Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Friday after Wall Street fell, as worries about tensions in the Middle East kept investors on edge ahead of the U.S. non-farm payrolls report for September.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.46% in the first hour of trading.
Japanese Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.34%, while the Topix edged up 0.41%. Korean Cospi The Kosdaq rose 0.74%, up 0.19%.
Hong Kong Hang Seng Index futures were at 22,091 points, lower than the Hang Seng Index’s last closing point of 22,113.51 points. Mainland China markets will reopen on October 8.
Trading got off to a shaky start in October as rising tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment. After stocks fell on Tuesday in response to Iranian missile attacks on Israel, investors are bracing for more unpredictability as Israel begins ground operations in Lebanon.
U.S. crude futures rose about 5% overnight and were higher again on Friday morning on concerns that Israel could attack Iran's oil industry in retaliation for Tehran's missile strikes this week. U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday commented on possible Israeli retaliation against Iran: “We're talking about it. Regardless, I think it will be a little bit.”
Overnight, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 184.93 points, or 0.44%, to close at 42,011.59 points. The S&P 500 fell 0.17% to close at 5,699.94 points. The Nasdaq closed down 0.04% at 17,918.48 points, as Nvidia shares rose more than 3%, limiting downward pressure.
—CNBC’s Alex Harring and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
Correction: This article has been updated with the correct date for the Chinese market to reopen.