Sentiment, as expected and is characteristic of a jobs Friday, is nervous, with the major index futures pointing to a slightly lower opening on Friday. The Asian markets had a mixed session, with Japan, China and Hong Kong circumventing the negative cloud that enveloped the rest of the Asian markets. Japan’s central bank clearly signaled its intention not to expand its massive stimulus program, while the Australian central bank, in its quarterly statement on monetary policy, hinted that additional cuts may not be forthcoming at least in the near term. Meanwhile, European stocks are also modestly lower ahead of the U.S. non-farm payrolls data. The dollar is flat lining, while commodities are holding up.