TOKYO |
TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian shares fell and the euro hit a fresh 16-month low against the dollar on Friday on worries that the euro zone debt crisis is crippling European banks, with players hoping U.S. jobs data later in the day will improve sentiment.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 1.2 percent and was set to end the first week of 2012 only marginally higher, after shedding 18 percent last year.
Financials generally weakened as European woes hurt confidence, even though Asian banks are nowhere near as exposed to toxic euro zone assets as European banks.
Japan’s Nikkei .N225 also slipped 1.2 percent. .T
European markets are expected to open little changed, with financial spreadbetters expecting London’s FTSE .FTSE, Frankfurt’s DAX .GDAXI and Paris’ CAC-40 .FCHI to open flat-to-0.1 percent lower.
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Asia sector valuations: link.reuters.com/vyk85s
ECB bond buying: link.reuters.com/pax23s
Euro zone debt crisis: r.reuters.com/hyb65p
US ADP vs non-farm payrolls: link.reuters.com/wuk85s
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The euro fell as low as $1.2763, its weakest since
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