In Asian Equity Markets the benchmark Nikkei 225 slid 0.75 percent, with losses seen across most sectors. Automaker stocks were down 1.89 percent in early trade. Early declines in South Korea reversed, with the Kospi climbing 0.17 percent. Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 tacked on 0.15 percent. Heavily weighted financials rose, but gains were capped as the telecommunications and energy sectors fell. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged lower by 0.53 percent, with all sectors bar telecommunications in negative territory.

In Currency Markets the US dollar fell from an 11-month peak against a basket of major currencies as investors took profits in early Asian trade on Friday, while sterling rebounded from a seven-month low after a slightly hawkish tilt from the Bank of England surprised the market. The euro rebounded from a fresh 11-month low of $1.1508 it hit overnight after testing technical support in the $1.15 area. It last traded $1.1614, up 0.1 percent on the day. Against the yen, the greenback was little changed and last traded 109.95.

In Commodities Markets oil prices rose by more than 1 percent on Friday, pushed up by uncertainty over whether OPEC would manage to agree a production increase at a meeting in Vienna later in the day. Brent crude oil futures were at $74.04 per barrel, up 99 cents, or 1.4 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $66.49 a barrel, up 95 cents, or 1.5 percent. OPEC is meeting together with some non-OPEC members including top producer Russia at its headquarters in the Austrian capital to discuss output policy.

In US Equity Markets stocks fell on Thursday, with the Dow slumping for an eighth straight decline as industrials wobbled again on trade war concerns while Amazon and other online retailers weakened after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on state sales tax collection. The S&P 500 lost 0.63 percent, to 2,749.76 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.88 percent, to 7,712.95. Caterpillar lost 2.52 percent and Boeing fell 1.5 percent, with the S&P industrials off 1.19 percent and on track for their seventh fall in eight sessions.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields fell on Thursday on worries about a continuing U.S. trade battle with China.  Benchmark U.S. 10-year note and 30-year bond yields have fallen in two of the last three sessions as U.S.-China trade tensions increased. U.S. 10-year yields fell to 2.904 percent, from Wednesday’s 2.928 percent. U.S. 30-year yields slid to 3.05 percent, compared with 3.064 percent on Wednesday. On the short end, U.S. two-year note yields slipped to 2.545 percent, from 2.562 percent late on Thursday.