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The Nifty futures on the Singapore Stock Exchange, an early indicator of Nifty’s performance in India, gained 0.4 percent to 8,825.
Most Asian stocks declined in early trade, as investors pull back after a week-long rekindling of reflation trades fuelled by optimism that the U.S. economy can withstand higher interest rates.
Gold declined but was headed for its seventh weekly gains in eight weeks. The precious metal is trading close to a three-month high.
Oil advanced 0.1 percent to $53.42 a barrel. Crude is heading for its first weekly decline in five weeks as expanding U.S. crude stockpiles countered output cuts from OPEC and other producing nations.
Overnight, most U.S. stocks dropped after the longest rally in three years, while Treasuries rose for the first time in six days and dollar weakened as the torrid advance in riskier assets eased with investors awaiting details Trump administration’s pro-growth policy promises.
Data on Thursday showed U.S. housing starts fell in January to 1.25 million, compared with a revised 1.28 million in December. Weekly unemployment figures showed a rise of 5,000 new claimants to a lower-than-expected 239,000.
Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer echoed Chair Janet Yellen’s views indicating the central bank is drawing closer to a rate hike, if the economy holds up. The odds for a rate hike at the March meeting are up to 36 percent from 30 percent three days ago, according to futures rates tracked by Bloomberg.
Investors will now be looking out for next week’s minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which would provide further clues on Fed’s assessment of the economic conditions and monetary policy stance.