OVERNIGHT

Prime Minister Shinto Abe reportedly has postponed an expected 2017 tax hike until 2019 helped lift Japanese shares in early trading Friday boosting shares that most benefit from a weaker yen.

In thin trading the Nikkei edged higher 0.4% at 16,846.32. Barring any surprise the index could finish the week up neatly one percent. There's no quest the expected VAT tax has weighed on markets as investors worried about that coupled with global concerns. Now, however, with the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates closer suggesting better economic growth in the globe's largest economy investors relaxed a bit.

In other markets, the KOSPI was up 0.42, the Hang Send was down 0.13, the Shanghai Conposite was also down 0.30 and the ASX All Ordinares Index was up 0.57%. Yet to come is Friday's speech at Harvard by Fed Chair Janet Yellen as investors will be scrutinizing for any hints about exactly when rates in the U. S. will be going up, June it July. Maybe even both. Her talk caps off the week of other Fed members speaking at various events softening up investors for what's ahead, some believe.