Global economic growth is forecast to barely clear 2% this year, according to a Reuters poll of economists who said the greater risk was a further downgrade to their view, at odds with widespread optimism in markets since the start of the year.

China's reopened borders and renewed focus on boosting the sagging economy have brightened the deals outlook, with bankers starting to field interest for mergers, acquisitions and fundraising involving the world's second-largest economy.

The U.S. dollar dropped against the yen on Friday as traders bet a hawkish pivot from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) was still in the offing.

Asian stocks rose on Friday and were poised for their fifth straight week of gains after a set of data highlighted a resilient U.S. economy, lifting investor sentiment ahead of next week's slate of central bank monetary policy meetings.

Thailand's finance ministry on Friday maintained its economic growth outlook for 2023 at 3.8%, helped by a rebound in tourism and domestic demand, but an official said exports would slow down this year.

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital, a leading indicator of nationwide trends, rose 4.3% in January from a year earlier, marking the fastest annual gain in nearly 42 years and keeping the central bank under pressure to phase out economic stimulus.