E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 were off another 0.3 percent, while spread betters pointed to a soft start for the major European bourses. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan shed 0.5 percent.

·         Japanese shares fell further on Friday, with major indexes plumbing fresh multi-month lows, as worries about further hikes in borrowing costs and a government shutdown in the United States raised concerns about the economic outlook.

The benchmark Nikkei share average lost 1.1 percent to 20,166.19, after shedding a hefty 2.8 percent on Thursday. The index is heading for its worst quarter since the 2008 global financial crisis, with a loss of 16.4 percent so far.

·         China stocks extended losses on Friday, led by the fall in banking and real estate counters.

The CSI300 index fell 1.4 percent to 3,025.14 at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.0 percent to 2,510.78. The two indexes were on track for their fifth and fourth straight days of losses, respectively.

·         Chinese stocks took a beating this year, but a recovery may not come until the second half of 2019, experts say.