Tokyo (Nikkei Average NIK, -0.06% ) up 0.1%
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index HSI, -0.28% ) down 0.3%
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, -0.23% ) down 0.2% (at break)
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200 XJO, +0.36% ) up 0.3%
Seoul (Kospi SEU, -0.31% ) down 0.4%
Mumbai (Sensex 1, -0.24% ) flat
Taipei (Taiex Y9999, -0.06% ) down 0.1%
Asian markets mostly retreated on Friday as investors took their cash off the table after the previous day's rally that was fuelled by the Federal Reserve's dovish interest rate outlook.
The dollar was slightly lower against the euro and yen, but analysts said they expect the currency to resume its advance as the Fed prepares for a rate hike while the Japanese and European central banks print more cash.
Providing support to the euro on Friday was news that Greece has agreed to give creditors a new list of reforms within days in order to secure bailout funds.
Tokyo dipped 0.17 per cent, Hong Kong lost 0.21 per cent and Seoul gave back 0.21 per cent, while Sydney was flat but Shanghai gained 0.17 per cent.
SINGAPORE share prices opened lower on Friday with the Straits Times Index down 3.49 points to 3,382.67 at 9.01am, following dips for major US indices on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 117.16 points to 17,959.03 while the Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 10.23 points and closed at 2,089.27.
Among Singapore Exchange's biggest movers in early trading on Friday were Noble Group, up 4.7 per cent or four Singapore cents at 89 Singapore cents, as talk in the market emerged about potential suitors for the commodities trader. Ezion Holdings was also up 2.7 per cent or 2.5 Singapore cents at 96.5 Singapore cents, following a Macquarie Research report earlier this week which gave the stock an "outperform" rating.
