Investing.com - Asian shares narrowly mixed on Friday with investors awaiting word from Japan's central bank on the scope for further easing.
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.24% ahead of the latest policy review by the Bank of Japan, while the S&P/ASX edged up 0.04%.
In China, shares fell even as analysts said the banking regulator's proposals to limit investment in equities through wealth-management products will have limited effect on money flowing into the stock market.
The Shanghai Composite Index eased 0.14%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was last down 0.52%.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were relatively flat on Thursday, remaining in tight, range-bound trade, as a disappointing quarter from Ford Motor Company (NYSE:NYSE:F) and continued declines in oil prices offset momentum from strong results in the technology sector on the busiest day of second quarter earnings season.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 15.82 or 0.09% to 18,456.35, closing lower for the fourth consecutive session and the fifth time in the last six trading days. Despite the recent sell-off the Dow remains less than 1% from last week's record-high of 18,622.01 at the completion of a nine-day, Post-Brexit rally. At session-lows, the Dow fell by as much as 103 points.
The NASDAQ Composite index gained 15.17 or 0.30% to 5,154.98, while the S&P 500 Composite index added 13.48 or 0.16% to 2,170.06. Buoyed by the stellar earnings among a host of large-cap tech stocks, the NASDAQ is on pace for its fifth consecutive positive week.
On the S&P 500, seven of 10 sectors closed in the green as stocks in the Consumer Services, Technology and Financial industries led. Stocks in the Telecom, Energy and Industrials sectors lagged, all closing in negative territory for the session.