MANILA – Asian stocks on Friday tracked Wall Street’s sharp drop in skittish trading, with the region’s major benchmarks erasing the previous day’s gains.

U.S. futures were higher, while oil prices declined.

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Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 2.4% to 48,645.95 as worries persist about a bubble in artificial intelligence related shares. Better than expected U.S. jobs data also raised the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will hold off on an interest rate cut in December.

Investors were awaiting the announcement of a stimulus package from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Plans for higher government spending have put the yen and Japanese government bonds under pressure. Data on Friday showed the country's annual inflation rate rose to 3.0% in October 2025 from 2.9% in September

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