Asia markets set to open mixed after Wall Street gains on cooler-than-expected jobs data and rate-cut hopes

Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed Thursday, after Wall Street gained on the latest jobs data from ADP, which strengthened investors’ conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week.

Payroll processor ADP reported that private companies cut 32,000 workers in November, a sharp step down from October’s gain of 47,000 positions, and well below the 40,000 increase expected by economists polled by Dow Jones.

The ADP report is the last jobs picture the Federal Reserve gets before it meets Dec. 9-10. Markets are pricing in an 89% chance of a cut, significantly higher than rate-cut bets just a couple of weeks ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

Over in Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225

index was set to open little changed, with its futures contract in Chicago trading at 49,880, and its counterpart in Osaka at 49,910, against the index’s Wednesday close of 49,864.68.