Asia Stocks Fall as Japan Returns From Holiday Before U.S. Jobs
- Regional benchmark set for worst weekly drop in three months
- U.S. government monthly jobs report for April is due Friday
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Asian stocks fell for a fifth day, with the regional benchmark index set for its worst weekly loss in almost three months, as Japanese traders returned from a three-day holiday and investors awaited the monthly U.S. jobs report for clues on the strength of the world’s largest economy.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.5 percent to 126.88 as of 4:18 p.m. in Hong Kong, on course to drop 3.3 percent this week, the biggest weekly decline since February. Equity markets across the region have fallen this week, while the yen has weakened since Japanese stocks last traded on Monday. South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand markets are closed for holidays.