Global Stocks: U.S. indices advanced

U.S. stock indices advanced on Friday in a relatively calm session as investors prepared for a Fed policymaking meeting scheduled for September 16-17.

Technology and health-care stocks led the gains last week, while stocks of energy companies declined amid low oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 102.49 points, or 0.6%, to 16,432.89 (+2% over the week). The S&P 500 gained 8.72 points, or 0.5%, to 1,961.01 (+2.1% over the week). The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 26.09 points, or 0.5%, to 4,822.34 (+3% over the week).

This morning in Asia Hong Kong Hang Seng slid 0.10%, or 22.15 points, to 21,482.22. China Shanghai Composite Index fell 3.20%, or 102.53 point, to 3,097.71. The Nikkei lost 1.35%, or 246.99 points, to 18,017.23.

Asian stock indices declined as investors assessed the latest data from China. The National Bureau of Statistics of China reported on Sunday that the country's industrial production rose by 6.1% y/y in August vs 6.4% expected and 6.0% previous. Meanwhile retail sales exceeded expectations and rose by 10.5% y/y in the same month. Fixed asset investment rose by 10.9% y/y in the first eight months of the current year, which is below expectations for an 11.1% growth and the previous reading of 11.2%. Slower investment growth points to a weaker economic growth in China.

Japanese stocks were weighed by data from China and the looming Fed meeting.