In Asia, futures suggested a lower open for Japanese equities. Futures traded in Chicago were off 0.1 percent at 19,415 and Osaka futures were down 0.65 percent at 19,270. That compared with the benchmark index’s Thursday close of 19,396.52.
Down Under, SPI futures were nearly flat, trading 0.05 percent higher at 5,693, compared with the S&P/ASX 200’s previous close of 5,689.882.
Stateside, major indexes closed mostly flat after financials and media stocks weighed on the broader market. The Dow Jones industrial average declined 0.1 percent, or 22.86 points, to close at 21,784.78, and the S&P 500 shed 0.02 percent, or 0.44 points, to end at 2,465.10. The tech-heavy Nasdaq bucked the trend to edge up 0.07 percent, or 4.55 points, to close at 6,397.87.
In corporate news, Apple is being pursued as a potential partner by three separate groups — including a consortium which counts Western Digital as a member — making offers for Toshiba‘s memory chip business, Nikkei Asian Review said Friday. Western Digital is attempting to secure just below 16 percent of Toshiba’s chip unit on the assumption of a future listing, Reuters quoted Japanese media as saying.
Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, or Foxconn Technology Group, has also continued to push its case for buying Toshiba’s memory unit, according to media reports. Hon Hai’s bid has support from Apple, Softbank and Sharp, Bloomberg said, citing a Hon Hai spokesperson.
On the energy front, Brent futures rose 29 cents to settle at $54.49 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude shed 7 cents to settle at $49.09. U.S. crude futures had slid due to a larger-than-expected build in U.S. inventories, Reuters said.
Energy markets were also cautious about the approach of Hurricane Irma, which could disrupt crude shipments, Reuters said.
Here’s the economic calendar for Friday (all times in HK/SIN):
- 7:50 a.m.: Japan second-quarter revised GDP and second-quarter current account
- After 10:00 a.m.: China August trade
- 4:00 p.m.: Taiwan August trade