Global shares traded mixed Thursday, with French and German shares gaining while those in Britain fell. Earlier in Asia, major benchmarks finished lower, reflecting ongoing concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. France’s CAC 40 gained 0.4% in early trading to 8,142.89, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.3% to 22,507.07.
Britain’s FTSE 100 declined by 0.3% to 8,684.84. In the U.S., futures pointed to a mixed opening: Dow futures were up nearly 0.2% at 44,627.59, while the S&P 500 futures fell 0.2% to 6,148.00. Asian markets saw declines across the board.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.2% to finish at 38,678.04. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined by 1.2% to 8,322.80, while South Korea’s Kospi lost nearly 0.7% to 2,654.06.
Mixed global markets amid tariff worries
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dipped 1.6% to 22,576.98 after China left its benchmark interest rate unchanged to maintain financial stability. The Shanghai Composite shed less than 0.1% to 3,350.78. “The yuan has been under siege, with foreign-exchange outflows surging last month as Trump’s tariff rhetoric sent shockwaves through markets,” noted Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.
In energy trading in Asia Thursday, benchmark U.S. crude fell 31 cents to $71.94 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 21 cents to $75.83 a barrel. Analysts are keeping a close eye on currency fluctuations, with the yen strengthening against the U.S. dollar, briefly dropping below 150 yen.
The Federal Reserve has indicated it may wait before making any interest rate cuts. During Thursday’s trading in Asia, the U.S. dollar slipped to 150.35 Japanese yen from 151.37 yen. The euro rose to $1.0436 from $1.0428.