Japan Leads Asian Equities Higher

Asian shares turned mostly higher early Friday, with Tokyo markets scaling fresh multi-year records, as traders awaited the release of U.S. nonfarm payrolls. Meanwhile, equities in Sydney traded lower as a slump in iron ore prices offset support from a stronger close on Wall Street overnight.

Overnight, U.S. stocks broke a two-day losing streak to finish higher amid details of quantitative easing in the euro zone and anticipation of Friday’s U.S. jobs report. February jobs data are scheduled for release before the opening bell; analysts expect about 240,000 nonfarm payrolls, below last month’s 257,000.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.2 percent, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.1 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite finished 0.3 percent higher.

CNBC

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