Japan shares head for muted open; investors set to monitor shares of Apple suppliers in Asia

Japan shares head for muted open; investors set to monitor shares of Apple suppliers in Asia

SINGAPORE — Stocks in Japan were set to be little changed, while Australia markets rose in early trading Friday. Wall Street stocks rallied overnight, and oil prices fell. Japan's Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 28,120 while Osaka futures were at 28,100. The last close was at 28,110.39. Economic data for the day includes Japan's consumer price index for March. Australia's  rose 0.37%, with some gains in miners. Investors will watch shares of Apple suppliers in Asia. that could launch as soon as the end of this year. rose over 2% on Thursday. , led by chip stocks. The Dow jumped 349.44 points, or 1%, to close at 34,707.94. The S&P 500 added 1.4% at 4,520.16, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.9% to 14,191.84. Stocks have seesawed this week, alternating between up and down days. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are on track to close the week higher. Oil prices continue to be in focus, falling after a volatile session. "[International Energy Agency] members are seeking to reduce their use of its crude," said ANZ Research analysts Brian Martin and Daniel Hynes. They noted IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the group is ready to release more