Stocks were volatile in early Asian trading on Friday after US President Donald Trump endorsed a bipartisan deal to avert a fresh government shutdown, and said he had decided who he would nominate to lead the Federal Reserve.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index opened 182 points, or 0.7 percent, lower at 27,785. The China enterprises index was 64 points, or 0.7 percent, down at 9,487 and the tech index was 51 points, or 0.9 percent, lower at 5,789.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index was down close to 26 points, or 0.63 percent, at 4,131 while the Shenzhen Component Index was almost 86 points, or 0.6 percent, lower at 14,214. The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, was down 0.09 percent at 3,301.

The Star Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, was 0.39 percent lower at 1,823, while the Star 50 Index, tracking the largest stocks listed on the board that also meet certain liquidity requirements, was 0.41 percent lower at 1,501.

In Tokyo, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average opened up 59 points, or 0.11 percent, at 53,434 while the Korea Composite Stock Price Index in Seoul was nearly 11 points, or 0.21 percent, down at 5,210.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fluctuated between gains and losses and was recently down 0.2 percent, extending the previous day's declines as it headed for its best monthly performance in more than three years.

S&P 500 e-mini futures slid 0.4 percent and Nasdaq e-mini futures shed 0.5 percent, while precious metals were choppy after a flash crash.

"Progress towards averting a shutdown would reinforce US yields and the dollar, while heightened shutdown risk would shift markets to headline-driven moves amid possible data delays," said Shoki Omori, chief desk strategist ‍for rates and FX at Mizuho in Tokyo.

On Thursday, Wall Street stocks fell after lacklustre earnings from Microsoft raised fears about ⁠whether its bets on artificial intelligence would pay off.

"There was plenty of drama in the ‍markets," analysts from Westpac wrote in a research report. "Sentiment shifted during US trading hours when concerns about equity valuations in the technology sector resurfaced."

With just under a third of S&P 500 companies having reported, 76 percent of companies have beaten earnings estimates.

But earnings season has thus far been a mixed bag for the major US tech firms that dominate the index. (Reuters/Xinhua)