APAC Markets Mark Time Ahead of US Payrolls

The Asia-Pacific markets were in a holding pattern on Friday ahead of the US nonfarm payrolls report, which is expected to show payroll growth of about 90,000 and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.1%.

The US dollar remained firm near its highest level since May 2025, while the Australian and New Zealand dollars held their ground.

Tokyo's core CPI rose 2.7% in September, the fastest pace in 10 months, strengthening the case for another Bank of Japan rate hike.

Japan's economy minister said the country no longer needs excessively loose monetary policy, while Finance Minister Katayama targeted about 7 trillion yen in idle funds.