Bank of Japan board members were divided on how to communicate a tweak to yield curve control, with some showing tolerance for explaining the move as laying the groundwork for an exit from ultra-loose policy, minutes of their October meeting showed.

Asian stocks were poised to eke out gains for the final full trading week of the year on Friday, while the dollar eyed a loss as investors look to 2024 as a year of steep U.S. rate cuts.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose marginally last week, the latest suggestion that the economy was regaining some momentum as the year winds down.

U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to rise about 13% in December from a year earlier, driven by strong discounts and vehicle availability, industry consultants J.D. Power and GlobalData said in a joint report on Thursday.

Oil prices rose on Friday as markets looked past Angola’s exit from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, given that the country accounted for only a small portion of overall output by the cartel. 

The dollar languished near a more than four-month low on Friday ahead of a reading on a key U.S. inflation gauge due later in the day, which will provide further clarity on how much room the Federal Reserve has to cut interest rates next year.