Asian stock markets drifted slightly higher on Friday as investors restored calm a day after worries about the Fed's rate hike signals prompted sell-offs, AP reported. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.5 percent to 16,736.35 while South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.1 percent to 1,947.67. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.1 percent to 19,904.06. China's Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent to 2,808.80. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6 percent to 5,357.10. U.S. stock markets finished lowered on Thursday on expectations that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates next month. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.5 percent to 17,435.40. The S&P 500 lost 0.4 percent to 2,040.04. The Nasdaq composite gave up 0.6 percent to 4,712.53. Benchmark U.S. crude oil added 42 cents to $49.09 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 11 cents to close $48.67 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 26 cents to $49.07 a barrel in London The dollar strengthened to 110.21 yen from 109.94 yen and the euro rose to $1.1208 from $1.1203.
