A pedestrian rides an escalator at the Singapore Exchange Ltd headquarters in Singapore.
American stocks had been bolstered in recent weeks by expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week. Recent data also showed that Washington’s long-running trade war with Beijing was “not having a terrible impact” on the American economy, he added, tempering hopes of a sizeable rate cut.
Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest also edged lower after a 20.2% surge Thursday on better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Mixed messages from the European Central Bank over further stimulus had weighed on regional bourses, said Michael Hewson of CMC Markets, after major European indices dipped in Thursday trade.