China's Shanghai Composite plunged as concerns over bond defaults and regulatory interference grew
Stocks in Asia finished lower Friday ahead of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report. Oil prices weighed as crude futures pulled back, even while
wildfires in Canada continued to spread. Worries over potential bond defaults, as well as rumors regarding possible regulatory changes to mainland listings of U.S.-listed firms, pressured China's Shanghai Composite to a 2.8% loss.
Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei returned from a long holiday to drop 0.3%, though the yen weakened slightly against the U.S. dollar. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rounded out the losses, giving up 1.7%, while South Korea's Kospi remained closed for holiday.
European stocks are also trading lower with crude oil, while traders await today's jobs report. Stocks are also reacting to a round of mostly disappointing earnings, while gold-related companies are getting a boost as the malleable metal rises
after three days of declines. London's FTSE 100 was last seen off 0.9%, while France's CAC 40 is down 1.2%, and the German DAX has shed 0.7%.
Sign up now for Schaeffer's Market Recap to get all the day's big stock movers, must-know technical levels, and top economic stories straight to your inbox.