Asia set to open modestly lower

Futures pointed to a modestly lower open for Asia on Thursday, following a mixed finish in the U.S. as oil prices dropped further and uncertainty lingered over key central bank policy meetings next week.

Australia's SPI futures traded at 5,214, a touch lower than the ASX 200's last close at 5,227.69.

Nikkei futures were off more than 100 points from the Japanese benchmark index's Wednesday finish at 16,614.24; Chicago futures were at 16,430, while Osaka futures traded at 16,330.

That followed a mixed session in the U.S. on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing down 31.98 points, or 0.18 percent, at 18,034.77. The S&P 500 index slipped 1.25 points, or 0.06 percent, to end at 2,125.77, while the Nasdaq gained 18.52 points, or 0.36 percent, to 5,173.77.

U.S. crude futures slipped 2.9 percent to $43.58 in the U.S. session, after dropping 3 percent on Tuesday. Global benchmark Brent fell 2.7 percent to $45.85.
In the currency market, the dollar pared gains against a basket of currencies, with the dollar index at 95.327, compared to levels near 95.662 touched during Asian hours. The greenback was still up from levels under 95 last week.

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