HONG KONG: Asian stock markets were cautious Friday even after gains on Wall Street and as oil entered a bull market.
The US and Europe had given the region a positive lead, supported by a dovish outlook for US interest rates and some healthy post-Brexit data in Britain.
The oil price also continued its upward trend overnight, with Brent crude holding above $50 a barrel on official data showing lower US crude stockpiles and hints of a possible production freeze.
Tokyo finished 0.4 percent up, after a day of see-saw trading — having edged into negative territory at the break.
The yen had eased somewhat against the dollar, supporting automakers such as Toyota and Honda.
A weaker currency is a plus for Japan’s exporters, as it boosts the overseas profitability of exporters. Sydney rose 0.3 percent while Shanghai and Wellington were also slightly up.
