Shares in Asia turned cautious on Friday after a Nvidia-fuelled technology rally while currency and bond markets held their breath for the world's most powerful central banker to speak on US interest rates.

In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index opened down 155 points, or 0.61 percent, at 25,410.

The tech index slipped 39 points, or 0.85 percent, to 4,580 while the China Enterprises Index was 64 points, or 0.76 percent, lower at 8,425.

Up north, the Shanghai Composite Index opened down six points, or 0.16 percent, at 3,950.

The Shenzhen Component Index fell 29 points, or 0.21 percent, to 14,019 while the ChiNext Index edged down 19 points, or 0.57 percent, to 3,453.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei edged down 27 points, or 0.04 percent, to 66,104 at the opening before pushing up to be 507 points, or 0.77 percent, at 66,639 at one stage before noon.

In Seoul, the Kospi was 73 points down at one stage before lunch after opening 65 points, or 0.95 percent, lower at 6,846.

All eyes are on the US Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole Symposium where chairman Kevin Warsh is slated to speak today. Three Fed officials have already sounded the alarm about sticky inflation but the new central bank chief has resisted providing forward guidance about where interest rates are going.

Futures imply around a 35 percent chance that the Fed will raise interest rates when it meets on September 16 and are fully priced for a move by December.

"While we do not expect him to offer forward guidance, markets are hoping he will reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding the Fed's reaction function," said analysts at ANZ in a note to clients.

"We do not expect that will be forthcoming but, given recent volatility in rates markets, if Warsh offers too little, that could lead to an adverse market reaction."

Longer-dated yields have jumped after the Fed's July meeting as Warsh was seen as not offering enough concrete steps for addressing persistently high inflation. He is also presiding over a divided Fed, with several policymakers calling for interest rate increases to stem price pressures. (Reuters & Xinhua)


Edited by Aaron Tam