VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Asian stocks were mixed on Friday and the dollar rebounded as rising tensions in the Middle East clouded the investment outlook.

Asian stocks fell to a two-month low on Wednesday as nervous markets recoiled on worries about an earlier U.S. interest rate hike, while such a prospect helped send the dollar to a 12-year high against the euro.

The U.S. dollar climbed to multi-year peaks against the euro and yen in Asia on Tuesday amid starkly diverging outlooks for interest rates globally, while currencies from emerging markets came under mounting pressure from risk aversion.

Asian stocks slipped on Thursday after Wall Street continued to pull back from record highs ahead of Friday's closely-watched U.S. jobs data, while the nervous euro languished at an 11-year low prior to the European Central Bank's policy meeting.

Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, taking their cues from Wall Street's gains after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested the Fed would not rush into raising interest rates.

Asian stocks dipped on Friday following fresh signs of slowing Chinese growth, with energy stocks depressed across the region as crude oil hovered near a four-year low in an oversupplied market.

Asian stocks dipped on Tuesday with latest signs of slower growth in China and the euro zone dampening the mood, although Japan bucked the trend and rose to new seven-year highs on follow-through momentum generated by the Bank of Japan's surprise stimulus move last week.

Asian stocks rose early on Thursday, cheered by a sizeable overnight rebound on Wall Street, while the dollar resumed its advance after upbeat economic data undercut safe-haven bids and pushed yields higher.

Asian shares held firm while the euro hit one-year lows on Tuesday as investors increasingly expect the European Central Bank to expand liquidity as soon as next week to boost the sagging euro zone economy.

An extended rally for the benchmark gauge this year had marked the increase in Asian stocks.

Despite Beijing's stimulus package, Chinese stocks still fell Thursday.

Bernanke speech and US retail sales sent most Asian stocks down.