Stock market today: Asian shares advance ahead of US jobs report

Asian shares are mostly higher ahead of a report on the U.S. jobs market. Several markets, including Tokyo and Shanghai, were closed for holidays. Oil prices and U.S. futures were higher. The Japanese yen strengthened slightly against the U.S. dollar amid signs of heavy central bank intervention to tamp down the dollar's advance. On Thursday, U.S. stocks closed higher and trimmed their losses for the week. The S&P 500 climbed 0.9%, a day after swinging sharply when the Federal Reserve said it’s likely delaying cuts to interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1.5%.