EU Stocks Uneven Ahead of US Jobs Data

HONG KONG (AP) -- European stocks rose while Asian markets were lackluster Friday as investors waited for a U.S. jobs report that could influence whether the U.S. Federal Reserve chooses October or December for its first interest rate hike in nearly a decade.

KEEPING SCORE: European benchmarks gained in early trading. France's CAC 40 added 1.1 percent to 4,476.27 and Germany's DAX gained 0.9 percent to 9,598.17. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.9 percent to 6,129.84. U.S. stocks were poised to open higher. Dow futures were up 0.3 percent to 16,234.00 and broader S&P 500 futures rose 0.3 percent to 1,922.30.

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JOBS REPORT: Investors were gearing up for the release of Friday's U.S. employment report. Employers in the world's biggest economy are expected to have added a healthy 206,000 jobs in September, resulting in the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.1 percent, according to analysts' forecasts. The numbers are taken into consideration by the Fed as it mulls raising interest rates from record low levels, with its next decision scheduled for Oct. 28. The following policy meeting is in December. However, there are worries a rate hike could also add to uncertainty in global financial markets as many countries struggle with slower than average economic growth.

ANALYST INSIGHT: "We will spend today patiently waiting for the latest set of U.S. payrolls data, which may tell us how much longer we have to wait for the Fed to deliver a monetary policy tightening that most of the global economy is simply not ready for," Rabobank analyst Michael Every said in a commentary.

ASIAN SCORECARD: Markets in the region drifted, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising less than 0.1 percent to end at 17,725.13. South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.5 percent to 1,969.68. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rebounded after a holiday, jumping 3.2 percent to 21,506.09 in a delayed reaction to a report that showed a small improvement in Chinese manufacturing. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.2 percent to 5,052.00. Markets in mainland China are closed for holidays until Oct. 8. Stock benchmarks in Southeast Asia were mixed.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 68 cents to $45.43 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 35 cents to close at $44.74 a barrel in New York on Thursday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, added 38 cents to $48.76 in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 120.10 yen from 119.86 yen in the previous trading session. The euro fell to $1.1166 from $1.1189.

(BAS)

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