Asia stocks edge higher, dollar languishes ahead of U.S. jobs data

Asian stocks inched up on Friday after a technology-led drop on Wall Street, with gains kept in check by investors' reluctance to stake out fresh positions ahead of U.S. jobs data later in the global day.

European markets look set for an underwhelming start, with financial spreadbetter CMC Markets expecting Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE, Germany's DAX .GDAXI and France's CAC 40 .FCHI to open little changed. 

The dollar hovered near the 2-1/2-year-low against the euro touched earlier this week, pressured by signs that probes into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections are gathering pace. 

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.2 percent. The index was poised to climb 0.4 percent for the week, taking its gains so far this year to 24 percent.

Japan's Nikkei .N225 dropped 0.3 percent on a stronger yen, and looked set to end the week little changed. 

South Korea's KOSPI .KS11, which closed at a 3-1/2-week low on Thursday, recovered 0.4 percent, narrowing its losses for the week to 0.2 percent. 

China's blue-chip CSI 300 .CSI300 reversed early losses to trade up 0.1 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng .HSI was slightly higher. 

Overnight, the S&P .SPX and Nasdaq .IXIC closed 0.2 percent and 0.35 percent lower respectively, with the declines led by technology shares .SPLRCT. 

But the Dow .DJI managed to post slight gains, staying above the 22,000 level breached on Wednesday. 

U.S. stocks fell to intraday lows late on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Special counsel Robert Mueller has empanelled a grand jury to investigate allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

Two sources told Reuters on Thursday that the grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included U.S. President Donald Trump's son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer. 

Non-farm payrolls were expected to have increased by 183,000 jobs last month after surging by 222,000 in June, a Reuters survey of economists found. The unemployment rate is seen falling one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.3 percent. 

The dollar weakened against the euro, with the common currency up 0.1 percent at $1.188 EUR=EBS, just a whisker below its highest level since January 2015 hit on Wednesday. The euro is set to end the week 1.15 percent stronger.