Shares are mostly lower in Asia after the Nasdaq set a record ahead of a meeting by the Federal Reserve later this week that could set the direction for markets in the new year.

China's top leaders have pledged to loosen monetary policy and provide more support for the slowing economy.

U.S. stocks edged back from their records as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday.

Asian shares are mostly lower, although the Tokyo stock markets reached another record high.

Asian shares are mixed after Japan reported its exports jumped nearly 10% in December over a year earlier.

Asian shares are trading mostly higher ahead of potentially market-moving developments, including a U.S.-China summit and data releases in the U.S., Japan and China.

China’s economy slowed in the summer as global demand for its exports faltered and the ailing property sector sank deeper into crisis.

Share prices have opened little changed after the the Israeli government declared war following deadly attacks by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

Asian shares are mixed after Japan reported weaker than expected trade data for June, with imports falling nearly 13% from a year earlier.

Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street benchmarks retreated following the S&P 500's rise to its highest level since the spring of last year.

Asian shares are trading mostly lower on looming worries over U.S. banks and lagging demand from China, the region’s major driver of growth.

Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday, as investors watched for key inflation data likely to influence the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates.

Shares are higher in Asia after another wobbly day on Wall Street extended a losing streak for markets.

Asian shares have fallen in muted trading as markets closed for Good Friday and other holidays.

Asian shares have fallen in muted trading as most world markets were closed for Good Friday and other holidays.

Asian shares are higher after a broad advance on Wall Street.

Shares have fallen in Asia after Wall Street closed lower for a second straight day, led by drops in technology companies and banks.

Asian shares fell Thursday, tracking a decline on Wall Street as another rise in bond yields rattled investors who worry that higher inflation may prompt central banks to raise ultra-low interest rates. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)BANGKOK – Asian shares fell Thursday, tracking a decline on Wall Street as another rise in bond yields rattled investors who worry that higher inflation may prompt central banks to raise ultra-low interest rates. Shares have yoyo'd recently with fluctuations in bond yields. When yields rise quickly, as they have in recent weeks, it forces Wall Street to rethink the value of stocks. U.S. government bond yields rose Wednesday after easing a day earlier.

Shares fell in Asia on Wednesday as investors weighed the possibility that inflation might prompt central banks to adjust their ultra-low interest rate policies. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO – Shares fell Wednesday in Asia as investors weighed the possibility that inflation might prompt central banks to adjust their ultra-low interest rate policies. Investors remain increasingly focused on a big tick up in bond yields and how it affects stock valuations. However, “Despite reassuring comments on lower rates from the U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, Asia markets continued to look to concerns with regards to the rising bond yields," Pan said. The bet mostly paid off, as big tech companies reported big profits last year.

Asian shares were mostly higher on Tuesday despite a sell-off in technology companies on Wall Street. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)TOKYO – Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday despite a sell-off of shares in technology companies on Wall Street. Although the world's economies have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic, the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines is raising hopes for a recovery from the pandemic. “Equity investors are finally paying attention to the bond market,” said Mike Zigmont, director of trading and research at Harvest Volatility Management. In energy trading, U.S. benchmark crude rose 76 cents to $62.46 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Asian shares were mixed on Monday as hopes for a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with the global rollout of vaccines were countered by worries about inflation and continuing economic damage. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)TOKYO – Asian shares were mixed on Monday as hopes for a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with the global rollout of vaccines were countered by worries about inflation and continuing economic damage. Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Japan but fell in South Korea and Australia. Investors remain focused on the future of global economies badly hit by COVID-19 and when and whether there will be enough stimulus to fix it. Investors remain focused on the future of global economies badly hit by COVID-19 and the potential for more stimulus to fix it.

A woman walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. Asian shares rose Monday amid some hope for recovering economies slammed by the pandemic, as market attention turned to upcoming company earnings. Hong Kong led other regional markets lower, dropping 1.9% to 29,587.91. The Nasdaq composite, which is packed with tech stocks, rose 0.7% to 13,635.99 and another record. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks fell 0.3%, to 2,163.27.

The benchmark S&P 500 index finished with a gain of 16.3% for the year, or a total return of about 18.4%, including dividends. And the S&P 500 rose or fell by at least 1% on twice as many days in 2020 than it did, on average, since 1950. The electric car maker jumped 743.4% in 2020 for the biggest gain in the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 set 33 record highs in 2020. The S&P 500 rose 24.03 points, or 0.6%, to 3,756.07, an all-time high.

FILE - In this Dec. 30, 2020, file photo, an employee tolls the closing bell during a ceremony of the last trading day at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo. Major Asian bourses were closed for the New Year's holidays Thursday, Dec. 31, while the handful that remained open was mixed. (JPX via AP)Major Asian bourses were closed for the New Year's holidays Thursday while the handful that remained open was mixed. Trading was closed in Tokyo and South Korea. The Tokyo exchange marked the end of trading for the year Wednesday, with the Nikkei falling 0.5%, and trading will not reopen until Monday next week.

Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Thursday as investors were encouraged by progress toward rolling out coronavirus vaccines and talk of reaching a compromise on new help for the U.S. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged 0.2% higher to 26,582.85 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo was almost unchanged at 26,806.37. Overnight, the S&P 500 index rose 0.2% to an all-time high of 3,669.01, a second straight record close. Nor by a report showing economic activity slowed in Novembe r as coronavirus cases surged. Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that its latest survey of private U.S. employers shows they added 307,000 jobs last month.

Asian stocks rose Tuesday after Chinese manufacturing improved, with investors looking ahead to U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powells appearance before legislators. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)TOKYO – Asian stocks rose Tuesday after Chinese manufacturing improved, with investors looking ahead to U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s appearance before legislators. An index of Chinese manufacturing released by a business magazine, Caixin, hit a decade high in November as the country’s recovery from the pandemic gained strength. Strength in the Chinese economy is helping offset unease about rising virus cases in the United States and Europe and possible renewed controls on business and travel. One developer, Moderna, said Monday it is ready to apply for emergency approval in the United States and Britain.

The market had been up for much of the day after the government reported that retail sales rose in September for the fifth straight month. That report appeared to overshadow new data showed U.S. industrial production had its weakest showing last month since the spring. Despite the market’s downbeat finish, the major stock indexes have already recouped most of their losses from September's market swoon. Across the S&P 500, analysts are expecting companies to report another drop in profits for the summer from year-ago levels. Several big companies report quarterly results next week, including Netflix, Coca-Cola, Tesla, Southwest Airlines and American Express.

Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after Wall Street turned in its biggest weekly decline in more than two months. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)TOKYO Asian shares rose Tuesday, after European stocks rallied and U.S. markets were closed for the Labor Day national holiday. Wall Streets slide on Friday followed a Labor Department report that showed U.S. hiring slowed to 1.4 million last month. In Europe, another round of Brexit trade talks is scheduled in London for later in the day. The Asian region depends heavily on a healthy Chinese economy, and trade with the U.S., as well as with China.

People wearing face masks walk past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. Shares were mostly higher Tuesday apart from in Hong Kong as investors hung onto hopes the coronavirus pandemic may come under control as treatments get developed. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)TOKYO Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday as investors hung onto hopes the coronavirus pandemic may come under control with treatments being developed. Markets have floated higher in recent days in anticipation of progress toward a vaccine or effective treatment for the coronavirus pandemic that has hammered economies and killed more than 800,000 people. Shares also rose in Taiwan, India and most of Southeast Asia.

BEIJING China's factory output rose just under 5% last month from a year earlier while retail sales fell slightly, suggesting the country's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic remains muted. Massive flooding across much of the south of the country also has hurt both production and consumer demand, though it pushed food prices sharply higher. Such idiosyncrasies" don't fully account for the prolonged weakness in consumer spending, said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp. Still, the glaring concerns around retail demand continue to speak volumes that its going to take more than stimulus and deep discounts on luxury products to get people shopping again," he said in a report. Manufacturing is recovering, but consumer spending is weak.

Shares fell back in Asia on Thursday after markets worldwide rallied on rising hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)Shares retreated in Asia on Thursday as investors mulled figures showing China's economy returned to growth in the last quarter. But it still was the weakest positive figure since China started reporting quarterly growth in the early 1990s. Rising numbers of infections and deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic remain a constant source of uncertainty. In other trading, benchmark U.S. crude oil shed 32 cents to $40.88 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Friday after U.S. regulators removed some limits on banks' ability to make investments. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)BEIJING Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Friday after U.S. regulators removed some limits on banks' ability to make investments. Wall Street closed higher after the Federal Reserve and other regulators announced they will ease rules that limit banks' ability to invest in hedge funds and some other areas. He said markets gave a similar mild reaction to the Bank of England's earlier decision to ease policy. On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index rose 1.1% to 3,083.76 after falling 0.9% at one point.

Asian shares rose Tuesday, cheered by fresh moves by the U.S. Federal Reserve to support markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)TOKYO Asian shares rose Tuesday, cheered by fresh moves by the U.S. Federal Reserve to support markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Global equity markets are recovering quickly, after the Fed announcement, Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp, said in a report. The move was the latest reminder the Fed is doing everything it can to help support markets, analysts said. Besides its corporate bond buying program, the Fed has also cut interest rates back to nearly zero and expects to keep them there through 2022.