Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower ahead of key US inflation data

Asian shares are mostly lower as markets await U.S. personal spending data for November that are due later in the day. U.S. futures and oil prices fell. Japan's inflation was higher than expected in November, as the yen weakened against the U.S. dollar. On Thursday, the S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower, coming off one of its worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates in 2025 than earlier thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up by less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. Treasury yields were mixed following reports showing the U.S. economy may be stronger than expected, but manufacturing may be weakening.