Asia markets see modest gains on Wall Street's lead, yen weakens before crucial Japan election; U.S. futures inch higher

Asian stocks mixed on Friday, following an upbeat session on Wall Street overnight, supported by strong earnings results and solid US economic data Gold held its recent decline below $3,340 per ounce on Friday, on track for its first weekly loss in three. Japan (NKY:IND) fell 0.32% to 40,034, with the broader Topix Index increasing 0.3% to 2,847 in…