Asia-Pacific stock slide as as investors watch for market reaction to overnight remarks..

Japan -1.77%. Japan preliminary PMIs April: Manufacturing 53.4 (prior 54.1).

Japan inflation data for March 2022 – Headline inflation +1.2% y/y (expected 1.3%).

China -0.07%

Hong Kong -0.55%

Australia -1.55%. Australia preliminary PMI April: Manufacturing 57.9 (prior 57.7) Services 56.6 (55.6).

India -0.92%

Overnight on Wall Street, Dow Jones shed 368.03 points, or 1.05%, to 34,792.76, S&P 500 slipping about 1.48% to 4,393.66, while Nasdaq dropping 2.07% to 13,174.65.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Thursday the central bank is committed to hiking rates “expeditiously” to tame inflation.

Oil prices were lower in the Asia trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures down 1.05% to $107.19 per barrel. U.S. crude futures shed 1.08% to $102.67 per barrel.

Gold prices slipped on Friday, pressured by the strength in U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar, which also put bullion on course for its first weekly loss in three.

Spot gold was down 0.1% at $1,949.33 per ounce, as of 0242 GMT. U.S. gold futures were up 0.2% at $1,952.00.

Spot silver fell 0.6% to $24.50 per ounce, and platinum eased 0.2% to $966.56, with both poised for weekly dips. Palladium rose 0.4% to $2,431.69.

U.S. futures lower. Dow Jones -0.32%; S&P 500 -0.25%; Nasdaq -0.11%.