Asian shares hitch a ride on Wall Street\\\'s record close

TOKYO, Aug 23 (Reuters): An index of Asian shares neared a six-and-half-year peak on Friday and was poised for a weekly gain, after upbeat US economic data sparked another record close on Wall Street.
Still, investors were cautious ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen later in the day at the annual gathering of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which will be studied for any fresh signals about the timing of US interest rate increases.
Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 to open 2 points lower, or down 0.03 per cent; Germany's DAX to open 5 points lower, or down 0.05 per cent; and France's CAC 40 to open 3 points lower, or down 0.07 per cent.
Japan's Nikkei stock average erased earlier gains and shed 0.3 per cent, breaking its nine-session winning streak but still marking a robust 1.4 per cent weekly gain.