Asian shares mixed, US jobs data in view

Asian markets were mixed Friday with mild profit-taking following a healthy week of gains, with the focus now on the release of US jobs data later in the day. Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei-225 index edged down 0.05 percent, or 8.11 points, to 15,063.77, while the the Topix index of all first-section shares slipped 0.07 percent, or 0.88 points, to 1,215.89. "Players refrained from trading actively today following the recent rise and ahead of US jobs data," said Shunichi Umeda, a broker at Tokai Tokyo Securities. "Consensus is that the figures will show a positive sign. Sony rose 0.15 percent to 1,994 yen, Toyota fell 0.82 percent to 5,792 yen and Nissan rose 0.85 percent to 947 yen. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index shed 55.00 points or 0.24 percent to end at 22,510.08, the first loss for the index since last Thursday, after adding two percent over the week. Tencent tumbled 3.93 percent to HK$525.00 and China Mobile slipped 1.11 percent to HK$71.1 but Hong Kong Exchange jumped 2.84 percent to HK$130.4. Energy giant CNOOC climbed 1.69 percent to HK$12.02, HSBC edged up 0.13 percent to HK$79.15 and Cathay Pacific Airways was up 1.00 percent at HK$14.12, while Henderson Land Development was off 0.21 percent at HK$46.60. In China the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.74 percent, or 15.13 points, to 2,058.83, adding 0.84 percent for the week. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, gained 1.18 percent, or 12.49 points, to 1,068.07, thus advancing 2.29 percent this week. Financial stocks and property firms were the main winners on hopes for the economy after the government unveiled a mini-stimulus on Wednesday. However, investors remained sceptical that the measures will be enough to kickstart growth in the world's number two economy. "It's uncertain how significantly China would loosen its monetary policy and it's also unclear how effective China's reforms will be," Deng Wenyuan, an analyst at Soochow Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires. Industrial Bank gained 2.13 percent to 9.58 yuan, Huaxia Bank rose 1.67 percent to 8.53 yuan and China Construction Bank was 1.0 percent higher at 3.99 yuan while Bank of China added 0.8 percent to 2.60 yuan. The Sydney market closed up 0.24 percent but Seol closed 0.28 percent lower. Taipei was closed for a public holiday. In the afternoon the euro bought $1.3700 and 142.27 yen, compared with $1.3717 and 142.61 yen in New York and well down from the $1.3763 and 143.02 yen seen on Thursday in Tokyo. The dollar edged down to 103.86 yen from 103.94 in US trade. Oil prices were mixed. New York's West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose 48 cents to $100.77 a barrel in afternoon Asian trade, while Brent North Sea crude for May was up 31 cents at $106.14. Gold fetched $1,289.15 an ounce at 0800 GMT, up from $1,286.75 late Thursday. In other markets: -- Wellington was flat, edging 1.53 points higher to 5,123.90. Fletcher Building rose 0.74 percent to N$9.59 and Air New Zealand was steady at NZ$2.03. -- Manila closed 0.39 percent lower, shedding 25.88 points to 6,561.20. SM Prime Holdings fell 0.65 percent to 15.40 pesos, Ayala Land lost 0.63 percent to 31.40 pesos and parent Ayala Corp. dipped 0.82 percent to 605.00 pesos.