RBI rate meet, Japan household spending

Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Friday after Wall Street saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop more than 200 points and S&P 500 retreat from a record high.

Traders in Asia assessed household spending data out of Japan that fell 1.3% in October year-over-year, slower than the 2.6% decline expected by economists polled by Reuters. On a monthly basis, spending grew 2.9% in October compared to September, beating expectations of a 0.4%.

Investors also await India’s interest rate decision on Friday. The Reserve Bank of India is expected to hold its key policy rate at 6.50% after the country’s retail inflation surged to a 14-month high in October.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.8% in trading, while the Topix lost 0.6%.

South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.6%, while the Kosdaq dropped 2.3%. Investors continue to monitor the country’s political situation amid moves to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his brief declaration of martial law earlier this week.

South Korea’s top opposition party reportedly said on Friday that lawmakers were on standby after receiving reports of another potential martial law declaration.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 1.6%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 gained 1.6%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.5% lower.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.18% to end at 19,700.26. The S&P 500 dropped 0.19%, settling at 6,075.11.

Investors are looking ahead to key U.S. employment data set for release on Friday. The labor report could inform the Federal Reserve’s rate decision at its policy meeting later this month.

— CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.