Asian Stocks Trading Narrowly Mixed

Wall Street closed mixed Thursday after lawmakers and Citigroup(C Quote) worked out a deal that could support the battered housing sector by limiting the number of mortgage foreclosures.

Wal-Mart (WMT Quote) heightened fears that consumers are faring worse than expected as it issued a profit warning and reported dismal sales in December.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended down 27.24, or 0.31%, at 8,742.46 after being down as much as 119, but broader stock indicators advanced. The S&P 500 index rose 3.08, or 0.34%.

U.S. futures pointed to modest gains on Wall Street's ahead of the government jobs report. Economists say the report could show the U.S. unemployment rate jumped from 6.7% in November to 7% in December, which would be the highest in 15 1/2 years.

Oil prices recovered, with light, sweet crude for February delivery up 65 cents to $42.35 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract overnight fell 93 cents to settle at $41.70.