Japanese big manufacturers' sentiment improved slightly in the three months to December, a quarterly survey showed on Friday, boding well for the central bank's plans to gradually raise interest rates from near-zero levels.
Asia shares fell on Friday as a strong dollar kept risk sentiment fragile, while longer-dated Treasury yields are heading for their biggest weekly rise this year as expectations for deep U.S. rate cuts in 2025 recede.
The dollar rose to a 2 1/2-week high against major peers on Friday, on track for its best week in a month, amid bets that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates next week but then take a patient approach to further reductions.
Malaysia has emerged as a promising investment destination, economists said, after the country approves 10.7 per cent more investments to a total of RM254.7 billion in the first nine months of 2024 from RM230.2 billion a year ago.
The European Central Bank is all but certain to cut interest rates again on Thursday and signal further easing in 2025 as inflation in the euro zone is nearly back at its target and the economy is faltering.