The local market was dragged down by regional worries on Friday, slipping 12.71 points, or 0.39 per cent, to 3,205.24.

Japan's inflation rose for the fourth straight month, giving economists a mixed signal about the effectiveness of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic revitalisation strategy.

On top of that, the Chinese central bank's refusal to inject funds into money markets this week to curb frothy credit growth has sparked fears of a liquidity crunch, with bank-to-bank lending rates inching higher.

At home, some 2 billion shares worth $861.2 million changed hands.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 224 to 164.

The top active was Innopac Holdings, sliding 0.4 cents to four cents, on a volume of 192.7 million shares.