Asian shares were mixed Friday as investors weighed a variety of factors, including suspected attacks on two oil tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The lingering worries about trade conflict between the US and China also impacted the markets.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.2 per cent to 21,076.11 in morning trading. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 recouped earlier losses to be little changed at 6,543.10.
South Korea’s Kospi lost nearly 0.2 per cent to 2,099.49. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was little changed but inched down less than 0.1 per cent to 27,294.71.
The Shanghai Composite was also little changed but a tad higher at 2,910.74, reports AP.
The S&P 500 index rose 11.80 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 2,891.64. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 101.94 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 26,106.77.
The Nasdaq composite added 44.41 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 7,837.13. The Russell 2000 index of small company stocks climbed 16.01 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 1,535.80.
Benchmark US crude dipped 29 cents to $51.99. It rose 2.2 per cent to settle at $52.28 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude oil, the international standard, fell 8 cents to $61.23 a barrel.
The dollar fell to 108.32 Japanese yen from 108.44 yen on Thursday. The euro weakened to $1.1278 from $1.1294.