August 7, 2026 9:21 AM
Asian shares pause for US jobs, oil extends gains on Middle East risk
Asian shares held their breath on Friday for U.S. jobs data that could prove pivotal for next month's interest-rate decision by the Federal Reserve, while rising oil prices served as a reminder that Middle East tensions remain far from resolved. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan held flat and was down 0.4% for the week. Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.9% although it was set for a weekly rise of 1.2%. South Korea's KOSPI slipped 0.5% and was down 5.0% for the week for a sevent...