Investing.com - Asian shares were mixed on Friday with Sydney down despite upbeat retail sales figures and Tokyo falling as corporate turmoil for Takata Corp. caught attention with a larger focus on U.S. jobs data and next week's presidential also weighing on sentiment.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.52% and the S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.83%.
Trading in shares of Takata was halted on Friday after the Nikkei business daily reported the embattled Japanese auto parts maker was preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing for its U.S. unit to help secure a financial sponsor, Reuters reported.
The Reserve Bank of Australia said Friday it is focused on the medium-term inflation target and sustainable growth in judging the cash rate stance at its November meeting and determining it "appropriate."
As well from Australia, retail sales jumped 0.6% in September month-on-month, beating a 0.4% gain expected, but the third quarter figure dipped 0.1%, missing the 0.4% rise seen.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.22%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index held steady. The yuan was unchanged against the dollar as the People's Bank of China set a weaker fixing for the first time in three days at 6.7514.
Overnight, U.S. stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Healthcare, Technology and Consumer Services sectors led shares lower.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.16% to hit a new 3-months low, while the S&P 500 index fell 0.44%, and the NASDAQ Composite index declined 0.92%.
Investors remained cautious after the FBI said last Friday that it would review more emails related to Hillary Clinton's private email use while she was secretary of state.
The news sparked fresh uncertainty over Mrs. Clinton’s election prospects ahead of the November 8 vote, amid fears over the implications of a victory for Republican candidate Donald Trump.