Asia-Pacific markets poised to fall; Bank of Japan expected to keep rates unchanged

Shares in the Asia-Pacific are set to fall Friday ahead of the Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision and a slew of companies in the region slated to report earnings.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.41%.

The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 27,095 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 27,050. That’s lower compared to the Nikkei 225’s last close at 27,345.24. The Japanese yen was trading at 146-levels, stronger than levels seen last week before an intervention reportedly took place.

The Bank of Japan is expected to keep rates at ultra-low levels, according to forecasts in a Reuters poll.

Some Chinese airlines listed in Hong Kong will report earnings, along with electric vehicle maker BYD. South Korea’s LG Electronics is also scheduled to report earnings.

Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 194.17 points, or 0.6%, to end at 32,033.28 in its fifth straight positive session. The S&P 500 closed 0.6% lower at 3,807.30, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.6% to 10,792.68.