Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index headed for the biggest weekly gain in six weeks, after U.S. jobless claims fell more than forecast.

Nikkei 225 16,178.94 +4.50 +0.03%

S&P/ASX 200 5,324.06 -3.19 -0.06%

Shanghai Composite 2,101.19 +28.09 +1.35%

Mazda Motor Corp., a Japanese carmaker that gets 30 percent of its revenue in North America, climbed 1.9 percent.

Fraser & Neave Ltd. gained 2.7 percent in Singapore after the developer announced a cash distribution to shareholders.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. slumped 5.2 percent in Tokyo after saying it ended development of a diabetes drug on safety concerns.