Asia-Pacific markets set to trade cautiously as investors keep an eye on U.S. stimulus talks

Asia-Pacific markets set to trade cautiously as investors keep an eye on U.S. stimulus talks

The Japan Exchange Group logo is displayed on a glass door at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in Tokyo, Japan.Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSINGAPORE — Asia-Pacific markets were set to trade cautiously on Friday as investors kept an eye on negotiations over additional fiscal stimulus in the U.S.Australia's benchmark ASX 200 fell 0.48%, with most sectors trading in the red. The heavily-weighted financials subindex declined 0.84% as the country's so-called Big Four banks struggled for gains.Nikkei futures pointed to a near flat open for the Japanese market.Friday's session followed a mixed end on Wall Street where the S&P 500 registered back-to-back losses — U.S. futures traded flat.Markets are "having to balance a weak short-term picture against a much rosier medium-term as vaccines start to be rolled out," said Tapas Strickland, director of economics and markets at the National Australia Bank, in a morning note. "In this environment equities have largely held onto recent gains."Currencies and OilThe U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of its peers, last traded at 90.824.The Japanese yen changed hands at 104.22 per dollar, relatively flat compared to its previous close. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar slipped 0.11% to $0.7525.Oil prices rose