Asian shares edged lower Friday as investors kept a wary eye on corporate earnings reports now coming out.

The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.2 percent, Reuters reported. Australian shares held steady, drawing support from a rise in iron ore prices. Japan’s Nikkei opened flat.

South Korean shares opened down 0.4 percent. Before trading began, Samsung Electronics, the world's largest electronics company and accounting for about 15 percent of Korea's benchmark KOSPI index, reported record quarterly profit of $7.4 billion.

Samsung's results came just hours after Apple Inc., the most valuable public company in the United States, which posted quarterly earnings that fell short of expectations.

The dollar rose to a fresh four-month high of 80.38 yen early in Asia on Friday on expectations the Bank of Japan will take aggressive easing measures at its policy meeting on Tuesday.

Japan's core consumer prices fell for the fifth straight month in the year to September, showing the economy remained mired in deflation and keeping pressure on the central bank to do more to achieve its inflation target.

The euro was steady at $1.2933, close to a near two-week low of $1.29205 seen on Wednesday.

U.S. crude futures steadied at $86.06 a barrel and Brent crude futures were nearly unchanged at $108.53.

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