·       Asian stocks fell on Friday after U.S.-China trade talks ended without progress and market focus shifted to a speech by the Federal Reserve chairman for fresh clues on the direction of U.S. monetary policy.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS shed 0.25 percent. It was still up about 1 percent on the week.

·       Japan’s Nikkei rose to more than two-week highs on Friday, buoyed by a weaker yen and gains in pharmaceuticals after a report that drugmaker Eisai moved forward its mid-term profit goal by one year.

The Nikkei share average ended 0.9 percent higher at 22,601.77 points, the highest closing level since Aug. 8. For the week, the benchmark index soared 1.5 percent, snapping a three-week losing streak.

Eisai Co surged 2.7 percent, after the Nikkei business daily reported that the drugmaker is expected to post an operating profit of 102 billion yen ($923.16 million) in the year ending March 2020, moving one year forward its mid-term business plan.

Other drugmakers followed suit. Chugai Pharmaceutical surged 2.4 percent and Daiichi Sankyo added 2.8 percent.

·       China stocks ended marginally higher on Friday, aided by strength in banking shares.

The blue-chip CSI300 index ended 0.2 percent higher at 3,325.33 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index closed 0.2 percent firmer at 2,729.43 points.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC