Crude oil futures steadied on Friday after strong U.S. retail sales data and the emergence of more fiscal stimulus to boost China's economy, though prices were still headed for their biggest weekly loss in more than a month.
The dollar was headed for its third weekly gain in a row on Friday, helped by a dovish European Central Bank and strong U.S. data that is pushing out expectations for how fast U.S. rates can fall, particularly if Donald Trump wins the presidency.
Asian shares steadied on Thursday ahead of a housing policy briefing in China that has raised expectations of support for the ailing property sector, while the dollar stood near 2-1/2 month highs on the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency.
Oil prices rose in Asian trade on Thursday, recovering some ground after days of bruising losses as industry data showed that U.S. inventories marked an unexpected draw in the past week.
The Australian dollar charged higher on Thursday after employment numbers beat forecasts for a sixth month, while the dollar held near an 11-week high as it drew additional support from a potential Trump win at the upcoming U.S. election.
Most Asian stocks fell on Wednesday, as technology shares, particularly chipmakers, were battered by a weak outlook from industry bellwether ASML.