• The dollar slipped on Friday but remained on track for a solid weekly gain on growing expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its mid-March meeting, which led to a rise in U.S. Treasury yields.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was down 0.2 percent at 102.020 but not far from the previous session's high of 102.260, its loftiest peak since Jan. 11. For the week, it was up 0.9 percent.
• The European Parliament called on the EU executive on Thursday to force Americans to apply for visas before visiting Europe this summer, stepping up pressure to resolve a long-running transatlantic dispute on the issue.
• The European Central Bank will stay in the background through upcoming elections in key European countries and is only likely to signal a shift away from its ultra-easy monetary policy toward the end of this year or early next, a Reuters poll found.
• Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Friday he wants to use the U.S.-Japan economic dialogue as a platform to discuss rules for free trade and investment.
Aso said the dialogue would discuss economic policy, infrastructure and energy, but it is difficult to offer more details because U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is yet to fill some vacant positions.
"I want to discuss rules for free and fair trade and investment and hope that these rules can be spread throughout the world," Aso said
• Japan's core consumer prices rose for the first time in over a year in January thanks to a pickup in energy costs, but a slump in household spending showed why economic growth and inflation have lagged the more ambitious goals set out by policymakers.
Government data showed on Friday the core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes volatile fresh food prices, rose 0.1 percent in January from a year ago, posting the first increase since December 2015.
• Japan's economy likely grew faster in the fourth quarter than initially reported, as companies ramped up investment in plant and manufacturing equipment, a Reuters poll showed.
GDP growth for the October-December quarter is expected to be upwardly revised to an annualized 1.6 percent from a preliminary 1.0 percent, according to the median estimate of 20 economists.
• The analysts forecast that China will overcome recent macroeconomic challenges and the prospect of a financial shock to transition into a high income economy by 2027. That will see the country's per capita incomes reaching $12,900 from the current $8,100, they say.
This is despite of their projection that China's growth could slow to an average of 4.6 percent in 2021-2025. The analysts say that rate of growth "will sufficiently support (China's) transition towards a high income economy."
• Oil markets rose on Friday as the dollar edged away from a multi-week high, but prices are being held in check by unchanged Russian output for February, a sign of its weak compliance on a global deal to cut supplies.
Benchmark Brent crude futures were up 8 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $55.16 a barrel, as of 0559 GMT. It closed down $1.28, or 2.3 percent, in the previous session.
WTI futures gained 7 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $52.68 a barrel after dropping on Thursday to its lowest since Feb. 9. The U.S. benchmark finished in negative territory the past three sessions.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
Thai
Eng