The potential for a strong US non-farm payrolls number later in day – and with it an elevated chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike soon – kept Asian financial markets nervously marking time on Friday.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.1 percent.

Australian stocks lost 0.6 percent and South Korea’s Kospi was little changed, while Japan’s Nikkei dipped 0.2 percent on a slightly stronger yen.