(Bloomberg) — Asian equities were steady on Friday after US stocks ended February with fresh highs as the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge met consensus forecasts.
China and Hong Kong opened slightly lower, while Australian equities traded within tight ranges. The Nikkei benchmark of Japanese stocks traded 1.6% higher on Friday after a two-day losing streak.
US stock futures were steady after both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indexes closed at record levels, helped by Nvidia Corp., which also set its highest closing price on the day. The two benchmarks ended February with their fourth consecutive monthly advance.
Treasuries steadied in Asian trading after rising for a second session on Thursday, helped along by jobless claims data that indicated labor-market softening. Traders also pointed to the possibility that short covering was behind the gains. An index of the dollar was little changed.
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