Last Updated Friday, August 27, 2021 9:56AM EDT
The moves in the U.S. and Europe followed an uninspired trading day in Asia. Markets are awaiting comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is to speak at the central bank's annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later Friday. “Despite the `risk on' mood heading into Jackson Hole, which arguably points to an accommodative enough Fed tilt to keep markets buoyed, thin trading in the U.S. bond markets this week suggests latent caution,” Hayaki Narita at Mizuho Bank said in a report.
The Shanghai Composite advanced 0.6% to 3,522.16. Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 fell less than 0.1% to 7,488.30. Benchmarks in India, Malaysia and Thailand rose while those in Indonesia and Singapore slipped. Also of concern is the deadly attacks at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. Wall Street indexes fell on Thursday after the attacks on crowds trying to flee the Taliban-controlled country.