Asian stocks ended mostly higher, as hopes rose for strong results from the key U.S. jobs report due out later in the global day.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index added 46.37 points, or 0.5%, to 8,643.75.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index grew 38.13 points, or 0.2%, to 19,040.40, following Thursday’s 1,000-point-plus gain.
The moves came ahead of the key monthly U.S. nonfarm payrolls report. While economists’ median forecast called for the addition of 125,000 jobs and a steady unemployment rate of 9.0%, strong private-employment data from ADP earlier in the week raised hopes for an upside surprise
Australian banks staged a late rally to push the benchmark higher by the close, with Westpac Banking Corp. up 2.1% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia up 2%.
The gains for the banks came despite a Standard & Poor’s credit downgrade for Westpac, CBA and others, as the agency applied new rating standards for banks worldwide.
In Tokyo, stock in Nissan Motor Co. added 1.1% after the auto maker posted an almost 20% gain in its November U.S. sales.
Shares of Toyota Motor Corp. -- which posted a more modest rise in U.S. sales -- also added 1.1%.
Many Japanese retailers also advanced, with J. Front Retailing Co. gaining 2.1%, and convenience-store operator Seven & I Holdings Co. adding 2.3%.
In Hong Kong, banking shares added to their large gains in the previous session on hopes of Chinese policy easing, driving the Hang Seng Index into positive territory late in the day.
Bank of China Ltd. jumped 4.5%, China Merchants Bank Co. gained 2%, and HSBC Holdings PLC improved by 1.6%.
On the downside, shares of Belle International Holdings Ltd. fell 6.6% in Hong Kong after reports said shareholder CDH Investments will sell 50 million shares of the footwear firm.
In Seoul, Samsung Electronics Co. dropped 2.2% after Australia’s top court extended a sales ban on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 computer for at least another week, as the Korean firm fights patent-infringement charges from Apple Inc.
In other markets;
Shanghai’s CSI 300 index shaved off 26.30 points, or 1%, to 2,557.31
Taiwan’s Taiex Index shed 38.01 points, or 0.5%, to 7,140.68
Korea’s Kospi Index slid 0.14 points to 1,916.04
Singapore’s Straits Times Index advanced 11.48 points, or 0.4%, to 2,773.36
New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index acquired 5.08 points, or 0.2%, to 3,282.39
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index picked up 59.40 points, or 1.4%, to 4,288
