The Australian stock market is sharply lower in post-holiday trading on Friday, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling below the 7,600 level, with weakness across most sectors led by iron ore miners and technology stocks.

The Hong Kong stock market has moved higher in four straight sessions, gathering almost 1,100 points or 6.5 percent along the way. The Hang Seng Index now sits just above the 17,280-point plateau although investors figure to lock in gains on Friday.

The China stock market has moved higher in back-to-back sessions, gathering more than 30 points or 1 percent along the way. The Shanghai Composite Index now sits just above the 3,050-point plateau although the rally may stall on Friday.

The Taiwan stock market on Thursday ended the two-day winning streak in which it had spiked more than 700 points or 3.5 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now sits just above the 19,850-point plateau and it's expected to open under pressure again on Friday.

The Singapore stock market on Thursday ended the three-day winning streak in which it had jumped almost 120 points or 3.6 percent. The Straits Times Index now rests just above the 3,285-point plateau and it may see continued consolidation on Friday.

Expert market comment made by senior analyst Alex Kuptsikevich of the FxPro Analyst Team: US economy: slower growth with stronger inflation

Expert market comment made by senior analyst Alex Kuptsikevich of the FxPro Analyst Team: The Nasdaq100 might retreat to 15800

Yen falls to new 34-year low ahead of BoJ decision - Dollar traders await GDP and PCE data - Wall Street mixed, gold stays on the back foot

Euro-dollar stable; stochastic positive. Dollar up 0.33% vs. yen; Williams signals overbought. Gold-dollar drops 0.3%; stochastic RSI oversold. Tesla falls 0.5%; oscillator positive. Yen weakens, S&P 500 rises, US Treasury auction affects yields. Australian inflation disappoints. Upcoming: US GDP, French business climate, Japan CPI, UK consumer confidence.

The USD/JPY pair reached an all-time high on Thursday, touching the 155.50 level. This development comes as the Bank of Japan (BoJ) starts its two-day monetary policy meeting with widespread expectations that the interest rate will remain unchanged at zero.