BANGKOK – World stock markets were mostly lower Friday ahead of a U.S. jobs report that is a key gauge of how robust the world’s No. 1 economy is.

Benchmark oil was nearly unchanged at $96 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro but rose against the yen.

Major benchmarks slipped early in Europe. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.1 percent to 5,789.78 while Germany’s DAX fell 0.1 percent to 6,647.85. France’s CAC-40 lost 0.2 percent at 3,368.86. Wall Street also headed for a lower opening, with Dow Jones industrial futures losing 0.1 percent to 12,650 and S&P 500 futures down 0.2 percent to 1,320.60.

The losses followed a slump among some major Asian benchmarks earlier in the day. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.5 percent to close at 8,831.93. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.6 percent to 1,972.34. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 percent at 4,251.20. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was marginally higher at 20,756.98. Benchmarks in Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines fell, while Singapore and Taiwan rose.

Mainland Chinese shares extended gains fueled by news of fresh support for the farming and small-business sectors, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rising 0.8 percent to 2,330.41 while the Shenzhen Composite Index added 1.5 percent to 878.29. “The gains mainly stem from recent supportive policies, which will help drive the rally in the short-term, though the room for further gains is limited,” said Zhang Jiuhui, an analyst at Great Wall Securities, based in Beijing.

Poly Real Estate, China’s second-largest listed property developer, climbed 1.1 percent, while industry leader China Vanke gained 1.4 percent. China Life Insurance, China’s biggest insurance company, gained 1.2 percent and Bank of Communications rose 1.8 percent.

Later Friday, the U.S. government releases its report on January job creation and the unemployment rate. In December, the country added 200,000 jobs, and the jobless rate was 8.5 percent.

Some analysts said they are not expecting a strong increase in jobs, based on a report Wednesday from private payroll agency ADP. The report said private-sector employment rose by 170,000 in January from the previous month — fewer jobs than expected.

“The two series continue to track fairly closely and both show what everyone has rightfully fretted about for the past 18 months: there hasn’t been any trend improvement in job growth since mid-2010,” said analysts at DBS Bank Ltd. in Singapore.

Traders were largely refraining from big moves ahead of the employment data in case it turns out to be worse than expected.

“For right now, for major indexes like Dow Jones, the Hang Seng and also Germany’s DAX, they are already at a relatively high level,” said Linus Yip, strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong. “For major indexes which shot up to high levels, we need more information for markets to expand the uptrend.”

The results of earnings reports, meanwhile, reverberated across markets. Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. jumped 7.5 percent after the electronics maker maintained its earlier earnings projection for the business year to March 31.

But Singapore Airlines fell 3.6 percent a day after announcing that quarterly profit plunged 53 percent as passenger demand slowed while higher fuel prices sent costs up. South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries plummeted 7.7 percent after posting a 91 percent plunge in fourth-quarter net profit, Yonhap News agency said.

Elsewhere, Australian miner Lynas Corp. tumbled 10.1 percent amid opposition to its rare earths plant in Malaysia’s central Pahang state that is scheduled to begin operations later this year.

Stocks were largely unchanged on Wall Street on Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down less than 0.1 percent at 12,705.41. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 0.1 percent to 1,325.54. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.4 percent to 2,859.68.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 18 cents to $96.54 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell by $1.25 to end at $96.36 per barrel in New York on Thursday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.3148 from $1.3141 late Thursday in New York. The dollar rose to 76.18 yen from 76.16 yen.

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AP researcher Fu Ting contributed from Shanghai.

BEIJING – World markets rose Tuesday as traders watched for a possible deal to cut Greece’s debts and Japanese factory output rebounded.

Benchmark oil rose above $99 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro and was unchanged against the yen.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.1 percent to 8,802.51 after data showed December industrial activity rose 4 percent over the previous month. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.1 percent to 20,383.3 and Seoul’s Kospi was up 0.8 percent at 1,955.79.

In Europe, France’s CAC-40 added 0.8 percent to 3,292.38, rebounding from a 1.6 percent loss Monday. Germany’s DAX gained 0.5 percent to 6,473.96, reversing a 1 percent decline a day earlier. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent to 5,703.94.

Wall Street was also set to open higher, with Dow Jones industrial futures rising 0.4 percent at 12,649 and S&P 500 futures 0.4 percent higher at 1,313.80.

Traders watched Europe following reports Greece and its creditors were close to a deal to cut its debts. Also Monday, European leaders agreed on a new treaty meant to stop overspending and put an end to the region’s crippling debt woes.

“Everyone is watching the European summit and how the Greek debt crisis comes out,” said Jackson Wong at Tanrich Securities in Hong Kong. “The general atmosphere is to play a wait-and-see game.”

China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.3 percent at 2,292.61 ahead of Wednesday’s release of a key manufacturing index. Investors are hoping for a loosening of credit curbs if it shows activity is slowing amid lackluster global demand.

India’s Sensex gained 1.5 percent to 17,109.30 while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 4,262.70. Benchmarks in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and India rose while Singapore and New Zealand fell.

European markets tumbled Monday on concerns Greece’s financial problems might not be solved even if creditors agree to cancel part of its debt.

Under a tentative agreement, investors holding 206 billion euros ($272 billion) in Greek bonds would exchange them for bonds with half the face value. The replacement bonds would have a longer maturity and pay a lower interest rate. When the bonds mature, Greece would have to pay its bondholders only 103 billion euros.

Wall Street fell in early trading but Asian investors were encouraged after the Dow Jones industrial average recovered most of its losses to close down just 0.1 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 0.8 percent.

Borrowing costs for the most indebted European countries shot higher. The two-year interest rate for Portugal’s government debt jumped to 21 percent after trading around 14 percent last week.

Portugal may become the next country “where default is a real possibility,” said Martin Hennecke of Tyche Group in Hong Kong.

“The euro zone crisis is far from being fixed at all. Italy and Spain are effectively bankrupt as well,” Hennecke said. “For Asia, that means there is huge uncertainty in terms of export markets.”

The treaty agreed to Monday by all European Union governments except Britain and the Czech Republic includes strict debt brakes and is aimed at making it harder for violators to escape sanctions. The 17 countries in the eurozone hope the tighter rules will restore confidence in their joint currency.

Benchmark oil for March delivery gained 98 cents to $99.76 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 78 cents to end at $98.78 per barrel on the Nymex on Monday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3207 from $1.3114 late Monday in New York. The dollar held steady at 76.25 yen.

BANGKOK – World stock markets fell Monday, with uncertainty about a tentative deal to resolve Greece’s debt crisis weighing on investor sentiment ahead of a summit of European leaders.

Benchmark oil slipped to near $99 per barrel while the dollar rose against the euro but fell against the yen.

Stock markets opened lower in Europe, where leaders gathering in Brussels for a summit on taming the continent’s financial crisis were met by a nationwide strike that hobbled trains and other public transportation.

Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.5 percent to 5,707.50 and Germany’s DAX lost 0.6 percent to 6,470.18. France’s CAC-40 shed 0.6 percent to 3,298.07. Wall Street was also headed for a lower open, with Dow Jones industrial futures falling 0.4 percent to 12,559 and S&P 500 futures down 0.5 percent to 1,305.50.

Losses began earlier in Asia, with the investment mood dampened by Friday’s release of data showing the U.S. economy grew more slowly than expected in the last three months of 2011. The economy grew at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the October-December quarter, lower than the 3 percent that economists were expecting.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.5 percent to close at 8,793.05. South Korea’s Kospi was 1.2 percent lower at 1,940.55 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.7 percent to 20,160.41. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 percent at 4,272.70.

Benchmarks in mainland China, Singapore, Indonesia, India and the Philippines also fell. Taiwan and New Zealand rose.

European leaders were to meet later Monday in Brussels to discuss austerity and belt-tightening measures as well as a tentative deal reached Saturday between Greece and its private investors that could avert a disastrous Greek default on its debt.

If the deal holds and works, it will help prevent a potential shock to the world banking system. But it doesn’t resolve the weakening economic conditions in Greece and other European nations as they rein in spending to get their debts under control.

Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said that “the Greece debt issues will remain a source of uncertainty and might dampen the risk mood ahead of the EU summit today.”

Under the agreement, investors holding 206 billion euros ($272 billion) in Greek bonds would exchange them for bonds with half the face value. The replacement bonds would have a longer maturity and pay a lower interest rate.

The deal would reduce Greece’s annual interest expense from about 10 billion euros to about 4 billion euros. When the bonds mature, Greece would have to pay its bondholders only 103 billion euro.

Some analysts said stocks were taking a breather after post-New Year rallies in several markets that were spurred by signs of improvement in the U.S. economy and Europe’s debt crisis stabilizing. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, for example, is up more than 11 percent since the beginning of the year. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 is 5.7 percent higher.

“Probably it’s a case of the market getting a little bit tired. We’ve had quite a significant rally now, and that’s been based on some news that was mildly encouraging out of Europe,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney.

“But we may have arrived at a level where the market will need a bit further concrete evidence and news to continue the rally,” Spooner said.

Shares of CNK International, a South Korean mineral development company, plunged 14.9 percent after company executives were implicated in a stock manipulation scheme, Yonhap News agency said.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp. plummeted 14.8 percent after the Defense Ministry and the Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center said they would not sign contracts with the electric machinery manufacturer, which acknowledged it had overcharged on defense and space-related projects, Kyodo News agency reported.

Traders are awaiting more data this week for clues about which way the U.S. economy is headed. On Wednesday, the Institute for Supply Management will release its manufacturing index for January. The Labor Department will release monthly employment data Friday.

“Because the market has been expecting rather good economic data from the U.S. … I am afraid if those figures disappoint the market, it may trigger further correction in the stock market,” said Louis Wong, dealing director of Phillip Securities Ltd.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 49 cents to $99.07 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 14 cents to end at $99.56 per barrel on the Nymex on Friday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3145 from $1.3208 late Friday in New York. The dollar fell to 76.67 yen from 76.72 yen.

LONDON – World stocks turned lower on Friday after official data showed the U.S. economic recovery was not as fast as many had hoped.

The Commerce Department said that the U.S. economy, the world’s largest, grew at a modest 2.8 percent in the final three months of last year. While that is the fastest growth in 2011, economists had expected growth of 3 percent.

A cut in government spending was offset partly by a rise in inventories, which are expected to slow back down in the early months of 2012, hurting growth. After that, “growth will pick up again by late spring,” said Harm Bandholz, chief U.S. economist at UniCredit Bank.

With the data suggesting the U.S. recovery would continue to be a slow process, investors sold off stocks to cash in on gains made so far this month.

Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 1.1 percent to 5,733 while Germany’s DAX fell 0.4 percent at 6,511.98 and France’s CAC-40 lost 1.3 percent to 3,318.76. The euro was up 0.83 percent at $1.3189.

Wall Street edged lower on the open — the Dow Jones industrial average fell 94 points to 12,639 and the S&P 500 5.8 points to 1,312.

Other economic and corporate news released Friday contributed to sour market sentiment.

Consumer products maker Procter & Gamble Co. cut its earnings outlook and Ford Motor Co. fell short of Wall Street expectations, while Japanese games and electronics companies Nintendo and NEC issued profit warnings.

In Europe, traders digested grim statistics from Spain showing more than 5 million people without jobs. The National Statistics Institute said the jobless rate shot up from 21.5 percent — already the highest in the eurozone — to 22.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

Attention was also focused on the resumption of talks to reach a deal on how Greece can avoid a catastrophic default on its debt. Greece and its bailout rescuers — other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund — are asking private creditors to swap their Greek bonds for new ones with a lower value, interest rate and much longer maturity.

The two sides have so far disagreed over what interest rate the new bonds should take. Some negotiators have said they hope to have a deal this weekend, in time for a European leaders’ meeting on Monday.

While investors appear to expect a deal at some point — the euro was up and eurozone borrowing rates were down, suggesting a steady increase in confidence — some worried that the crisis was far from over.

Portugal’s markets have worsened in recent days on fears that its austerity efforts will not be enough to achieve its deficit-reduction targets and that it may end up like Greece, needing a second bailout effort and possibly a debt writedown.

Getting economies like Portugal to grow is fast becoming a priority and is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion at the European leaders’ summit in Brussels on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Asian markets showed little momentum ahead of the weekend.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.1 percent to close at 8,841.22 while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.4 percent to 1,964.83. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 20,501.67 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4 percent to 4,288.40.

Japanese exporters continued to be hit by a strong yen, which reduces the value of repatriated profits. The dollar fell to 76.81 yen from 77.49 yen.

Nintendo Corp., the Japanese gaming giant behind the Super Mario and Pokemon games, plummeted 4.1 percent, a day after it lowered its annual earnings forecast to a 65 billion yen ($844 million) loss. The company blamed the strong yen for much of the loss.

Japanese electronics company NEC Corp. plummeted 7.1 percent after announcing Thursday that it was slashing 10,000 jobs worldwide and would slide into the red for the full year.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 5 cents at $99.75 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 30 cents to finish at $99.70 per barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.

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Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.

LONDON (Reuters) – World stocks fell from a 5-1/2 month high on Friday as gains spurred by the Federal Reserve's pledge of low interest rates gave way to concerns about Portugal, seen as the next domino in the euro zone crisis, and uncertainty over Greek debt talks.

Portuguese five- and 10-year government bond yields were set to remain under pressure after hitting euro-era highs on Thursday as fears grow that the country may follow Greece in requiring another bailout or seeking to restructure its debt.

Athens is locked in tough negotiations with its private creditors on a restructuring it needs quickly to avert a disorderly default when a major bond redemption falls due in March. Greece's bondholders are demanding the European Central Bank contribute to a deal to put the country's messy finances back on track.

"With all the focus on Greece, attention has also started to shift to Portugal, whose own bond yields are continuing to rise sharply, with 10-year yields pushing on towards 15 percent, as fears rise that it could well need a second bailout," said Michael Hewson, market analyst at CMC Markets in London.

The MSCI world equity index fell a quarter percent, after hitting its highest since August on Thursday after the Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero for the next three years.

European stocks lost 0.4 percent while emerging stocks rose 0.3 percent.

U.S. crude oil fell 0.1 percent to $99.56 a barrel.

Bund futures rose 30 ticks.

The dollar rose slightly against a basket of major currencies. The euro fell 0.1 percent to $1.3091.

After weeks of wrangling over the coupon that Greece will pay on new bonds it will swap for existing debt, the focus has shifted to whether the ECB and other public creditors will follow private bondholders in swallowing losses.

Euro zone members may have to increase their financial support for Greece if Athens and the private sector do their part to address the country's debt crisis, Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker told a newspaper.

Italy, on the other hand, has enjoyed a recent rapid decline in yields, mostly driven by demand from domestic banks awash with three-year loans taken out from the European Central Bank. Italy will sell 8 billion euros of six-month bills and 3 billion euros of 11-month bills on Friday after a successful short-term bond auction on Thursday and before a key sale of longer-dated debt next week.

"Italy has seen some relief," Hewson said.

(Editing by Catherine Evans)

BANGKOK – World stocks faced multiple headwinds Friday after disappointing Japanese earnings, higher unemployment in Spain and weak U.S. home sales. Investors awaited quarterly growth figures from the U.S. later in the day.

Benchmark oil hovered below $100 per barrel while the dollar was lower against the euro and the yen.

European shares headed lower as the latest data from Spain, which already has the highest unemployment rate among the 17 nations that use the euro, showed more than 5 million people without jobs. The National Statistics Institute said the jobless rate shot up from 21.5 percent to 22.8 percent in the fourth quarter.

Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.3 percent to 5,775.29. Germany’s DAX was off 0.1 percent to 6,531.89 and France’s CAC-40 lost 0.4 percent to 3,349.82. Wall Street appeared set to open in negative territory, with Dow Jones industrial futures down marginally to 12,679 and S&P 500 futures falling less than 0.1 percent at 1,214.50.

Asian stock markets closed mostly higher, ahead of the release of fourth quarter U.S. economic growth figures. Economists predict growth will strengthen to around 3 percent in the October-December quarter from about 2 percent in the third quarter. Analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said the reading was expected to “look healthy.”

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.1 percent to close at 8,841.22.

South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.4 percent to 1,964.83. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 20,501.67, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4 percent to 4,288.40.

Attention was also focused on the resumption of talks to reach a deal on how Greece can avoid a catastrophic default on its debt. Greece and its bailout rescuers — other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund — are asking private creditors to swap their Greek bonds for new ones with a lower value and interest rate.

The two sides have so far disagreed over what interest rate the new bonds should take.

In the U.S., stocks slipped Thursday after the government reported an unexpected drop in new home sales in December, capping the worst year for home sales since record-keeping began in 1963. But there were some bright spots. Orders to factories for long-lasting manufactured goods increased in December for the second straight month, and a key measure of business investment rose solidly.

Japanese exporters continued to be hit by a strong yen, which reduces the value of repatriated profits. Honda Motor Corp. slid 1.9 percent and Panasonic Corp. shed 2.3 percent. Fujitsu Ltd. plunged 3.5 percent.

Nintendo Corp., the Japanese gaming giant behind the Super Mario and Pokemon games, plummeted 4.1 percent, a day after it lowered its annual earnings forecast to a 65 billion yen ($844 million) loss. The company blamed the strong yen for much of the loss.

Japanese electronics company NEC Corp. plummeted 7.1 percent after announcing Thursday that it was slashing 10,000 jobs worldwide and would slide into the red for the full year.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 11 cents to $99.60 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 30 cents to finish at $99.70 per barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3107 from $1.3104 late Thursday in New York. The dollar fell to 77.05 yen from 77.49 yen.

BANGKOK – World stocks rose Wednesday as investors stayed calm in the face of a possible debt default by Greece to search for good deals in technology shares boosted by stunning results from Apple Inc.

Benchmark crude rose to nearly $99 per barrel while the dollar rose against the yen but fell against the euro.

European shares followed their Asian counterparts higher. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent to 5,774.31. Germany’s DAX climbed 0.5 percent to 6,448.33 and France’s CAC-40 added 0.4 percent at 3,334.50.

After a session of slight losses Tuesday, Wall Street appeared headed for a higher opening. Dow Jones industrial futures rose 0.1 percent to 12,644 while S&P 500 futures added 0.2 percent to 1,314.40.

Asian stocks posted solid gains. The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo rose 1.1 percent to close at 8,883.69. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 1,952.23 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 1.1 percent to 4,271.30. Markets in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan remained closed for Chinese New Year.

Japan’s powerhouse export sector got a lift from a moderation in the yen’s strength even as the country reported its first annual trade deficit since 1980. A strong yen, which hit multiple historic highs last year against the dollar, shrinks the value of overseas earnings when repatriated and makes Japanese products less competitive.

Honda Motor Corp. surged 3.8 percent. Mitsubishi Motor Corp. jumped 4.4 percent and Sony Corp. added 4.8 percent. Tire-maker Bridgestone Corp. added 4.2 percent.

Technology stocks were elevated after Apple Inc. reported earnings that sailed past analyst estimates. Apple said late Tuesday said it sold 37 million iPhones in the last three months of 2011, vastly exceeding estimates and propelling the company to record quarterly results.

That stellar performance reverberated throughout the global tech industry. South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc., which ranks No. 2 globally in flat screen televisions, jumped 4.1 percent. Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chip maker, added 1.9 percent.

In Australia, shares in Lynas Corp. Ltd. soared 5.1 percent after the company said it had secured the funding necessary to complete construction and start-up at its rare earths processing plant in Malaysia.

Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said the gains in Asia suggested that investors were paying less attention to Greece, which is struggling to reach a deal with creditors to prevent a chaotic default on its massive debts. A default could trigger a financial crisis in Europe and likely beyond.

Greece is trying to get its creditors to swap Greek government bonds for new ones that have half the face value. Greece faces an important bond repayment deadline in March.

“To a large extent, traders are thinking that people are going to lose money either way in this deal, so it’s now about how we can move on,” Shamu said. Markets “are thinking more long-term. Encouraging data out of the U.S. has been good for sentiment. We also have China, which has been managing its economy very well.”

Benchmark oil for March delivery rose 8 cents to $99.03 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 63 cents to end at $98.95 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.3031 from $1.3021 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar rose to 77.98 yen from 77.73 yen.

BANGKOK – Europe’s stock markets sank and Wall Street was poised to fall Tuesday as Greek bond holders remained at odds with finance officials over the interest rate they’ll receive from new bonds that aim to cut Greece’s debt mountain.

In Asia, stock markets mostly rose though trading was subdued because of Chinese New Year holidays. Markets in Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam were closed.

As trading got underway in Europe, Germany’s DAX fell 0.6 percent to 6,396.80 and Britain’s FTSE 100 was down 0.5 percent at 5,753.30. France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.7 percent to 3,315.90.

Auguring losses on Wall Street, Dow Jones futures slipped 0.3 percent to 12,610.

Hopes that Greece will reach a deal with private creditors on lowering its debt, thereby easing a key flash point in Europe’s debt crisis, have been dented by tough negotiations with creditors.

The interest rate is the key remaining variable in a complicated debt swap designed to slice some euro100 billion off Greece’s massive debt pile and bring it down to 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020.

Finance ministers’ insistence that the rate be less than 4 percent has met resistance from bond holders who already have to give up on 50 percent of the face value of their investments and are expected to give the country between 20 or 30 years to repay them.

An agreement is necessary if Greece is to get the next batch of bailout cash that would prevent a debt default the could rock Europe’s financial system. Greece does not have enough money to cover a euro14.5 billion ($18.7 billion) bond repayment in March. A deal would allow the country to receive a second bailout package from other European governments and the IMF, and cut Greece’s debt from an estimated 160 percent of its annual economic output to 120 percent by 2020.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock rose 0.2 percent to 8,785.33 despite the central bank cutting growth forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 2012 and the following year because of a slowdown in overseas demand and the strong yen.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed little changed at 4,224.20. Indonesia’s benchmark was up 0.1 percent at 3,994.91 and India’s Sensex was 1.5 percent higher at 16,997.35 after the Reserve Bank of India lowered cash reserve requirements for commercial lenders.

Thailand’s main index rose while New Zealand and the Philippines fell.

On Wall Street on Monday, the S&P 500 index eked out a tiny gain while traders kept an eye on talks in Europe to cut Greece’s crushing debt load and prevent a global financial crisis. Other indexes ended slightly lower.

Benchmark crude was up 26 cents at $99.84 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract jumped $1.25 to end Monday at $99.58 after Iran again threatened to block shipments of crude from the Persian Gulf. The latest threat followed a widely expected decision by the European Union to embargo imports of Iranian oil.

In currencies, the euro was down 0.2 percent at $1.3001 after jumping the day before. The dollar rose 0.4 percent to 77.25 yen.

BANGKOK – Asian stock markets rose Friday amid signs that the U.S. economy was picking up steam, but European shares opened lower as nervous traders awaited results of crucial negotiations between debt-mired Greece and its lenders.

Benchmark oil hovered above $100 per barrel while the dollar rose against the euro and the yen.

European stocks fell in early trading. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.1 percent to 5,733.14 and Germany’s DAX was 0.3 percent lower at 6,396.62. France’s CAC-40 lost 0.5 percent to 3,306.20. Wall Street also appeared set to open lower, with Dow Jones industrial futures down 0.2 percent to 12,567 and S&P 500 futures shedding 0.3 percent to 1,306.50.

Critical negotiations were under way in Athens between the government and private creditors over a debt restructuring. Greece cannot afford to repay its debts and is trying to persuade its creditors to accept losses of at least 50 percent on billions of euros (dollars) in Greek bonds.

Failure to seal a deal would likely result in a financially disastrous default by Greece.

“For the moment, the market expects a deal to be made while downside risk still exists and any disappointment could end the week of rallies,” Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in an email.

Signs out of the U.S. on Thursday indicating the U.S. economic recovery was on track powered Asian shares higher earlier in the day.

On the last trading day before Chinese New Year holidays begin Monday, the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1 percent to 2,319.12. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1.5 percent to close at 8,766.36. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.8 percent to 20,110.37 and South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.8 percent to 1,949.89.

Strong U.S. corporate earnings boosted investor risk tolerance. IBM Corp.’s fourth-quarter earnings beat Wall Street expectations, while Bank of America and Morgan Stanley both reported results that were better than analysts were expecting.

That helped lift shares in Japan’s major banks, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, which jumped 5.1 percent. Mizuho Financial Group was up 5.5 percent and Nomura Holdings surged 5.2 percent.

Another positive sign for the U.S. economy was data that showed a strengthening job market. The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 352,000, the fewest since April 2008.

“The U.S. has better job figures and China’s central bank pumped money into the banking system to provide money to cash-starved enterprises so they can pay new year bonuses. I think after the Chinese New Year, be prepared for a correction,” said Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong.

Some Hong Kong-listed banks and insurers fell as investors sold shares to book profits ahead of the Lunar New Year, analysts said. The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China fell 1.1 percent. Ping An Insurance shed 0.8 percent.

Resources stocks advanced following strong gains in metals prices overnight.

Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd. rose 1.2 percent. Fortescue Metals Group, Australia’s third-biggest iron ore producer, gained 2.6 percent.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was down 4 cents at $100.35 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 20 cents to finish at $100.39 per barrel in New York on Thursday.

In currency trading, the euro fell to $1.2932 from $1.2936 late Thursday in New York. The dollar rose to 77.21 yen from 77.17 yen.

BANGKOK – World markets rose Thursday as investors grew more comfortable with riskier assets such as stocks after a pledge by the IMF to help stave off a financial crisis and as hopes rose for an agreement on the restructuring of Greece’s debt.

Benchmark oil rose above $101 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro and the yen.

European bourses were mostly higher in early trading. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1 percent to 5,697.70. Germany’s DAX rose 0.1 percent 6,359.08 and France’s CAC-40 added 0.4 percent to 3,276.87.

Futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street after shares rallied on Wednesday. Dow Jones industrial futures drifted marginally lower to 12,494 while S&P 500 futures lost 0.2 percent to 1,300.

Earlier Thursday, Asian shares posted broad gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1 percent to close at 8,639.68. South Korea’s Kospi rebounded 1.2 percent to 1,914.97 after a losing session Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.3 percent at 19,942.95.

Benchmarks in Singapore and mainland China also rose. Markets in Taiwan were closed for Chinese New Year.

Analysts said investors were becoming more comfortable with taking on risk despite multiple headwinds — including a likely recession in Europe, a possible debt default by Greece and a warning from the World Bank on Wednesday of a possible slump in global economic growth.

“Evidence that markets are becoming increasingly resilient to bad news emerged from the muted reaction to sharp downgrades in growth forecasts by the World Bank,” Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in a research note.

Fears that the euro common currency might implode amid a mountain of sovereign debt eased Wednesday after the International Monetary Fund said it was looking at ways to raise another $500 billion for loans to struggling countries.

The IMF has put up roughly a third of the money given as rescue loans to European governments. But analysts cautioned that the crisis was far from over.

“What needs to be understood is that the IMF doesn’t have enough money to help the eurozone countries. They could only get it from newly printed money from the ECB and that would mean inflation,” said Martin Hennecke, associate director of Tyche Group in Hong Kong, referring to the European Central Bank.

“There’s only two choices: Either you have bankruptcy of major countries like Italy, which would basically be Armageddon, or the ECB prints money and lends it to banks and the IMF, and that would mean high inflation.”

For its part, Greece is running out of time to avoid becoming the first euro country to default on its debts and potentially trigger a chain reaction that could ultimately destabilize the global economy. Talks are taking place in Athens between the government and private creditors trying to negotiate a debt restructuring.

Negotiations resumed Wednesday after breaking down late last week amid disagreement over the terms of new bonds that Greece would issue to replace expiring bonds that it cannot afford to pay off. Greece needs to clinch the agreement quickly to qualify for more bailout loans before it faces a major bond repayment March 20.

Banks and insurance companies were among the beneficiaries of the better investment mood. Hong Kong-listed Ping An Insurance soared 7 percent and China Life Insurance Co. Ltd. rose 2.8 percent. China Construction Bank added 2.5 percent. South Korea’s Shinhan Financial Group added 2 percent.

Australia’s Lynas Corp. Ltd. soared 8.5 percent amid speculation that the rare earths miner will be cleared to proceed with its Malaysian project by officials later this month.

Benchmark oil for February delivery was up 69 cents to $101.28 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 12 cents to $100.59 per barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2884 from $1.2841 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar fell to 76.75 yen from 76.80 yen.

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