Asia markets mixed ahead of China trade data, U.S. bank earnings

News Snapshot:

Japan (NKY:IND) +0.21%. Japan's industrial output falls more than initially anticipated to 0.6% in February The yen came under pressure even after the BOJ took the first step toward normalizing policy, as Japanese rates remained at ultra-low levels, encouraging carry trades. China (SHCOMP) +0.05%. Traders were increasingly nervous ahead of trade data in China later today. On Thursday, Chinese stocks gained as data showed that softer-than-expected domestic inflation data bolstered bets on further policy easing. Hong Kong (HSI) -1.80%. India (SENSEX) -0.35%. Australia (AS51) -0.33%. In the U.S. on Thursday, all three major indexes rebounded following a nearly 1% decline...