Asia-Pacific FX sees muted trading amid thin news flow

Asian currency pairs experienced subdued volatility during Friday's trading session, with major pairs confined to tight ranges amid limited economic catalysts. USD/JPY held steady near 142.50, while AUD/USD consolidated around 0.6680 levels. The absence of significant data releases kept traders sidelined, with most awaiting next week's Bank of Japan policy meeting and Australian employment figures. Regional equity markets showed mixed performance, with the Nikkei up 0.2% while Shanghai Composite declined 0.3%. Currency volumes remained below average, typical for end-of-week Asian sessions without major announcements. NZD/USD showed slight weakness, dipping 0.1% to 0.6120 on residual concerns about New Zealand's economic outlook. Traders are positioning cautiously ahead of weekend risk events and Monday's Chinese industrial production data, which could provide fresh directional cues for Asia-Pacific currencies.