TOKYO — Global shares were trading mixed Monday after a cooldown in oil prices last week helped U.S. stocks close out their first winning week in the last three.
France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.3 per cent in early trading to 8,097.99, while the German DAX added 0.2 per cent to 25,464.53. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.3 per cent to 10,725.57.
U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures dipped 0.3 per cent to 51,992.00. S&P 500 futures shed 0.4 per cent to 7,770.75.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 0.7 per cent to finish at 65,877.62.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 per cent to 8,679.70. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 2.7 per cent to 6,889.74. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.5 per cent to 24,642.51, while the Shanghai Composite lost 1.7 per cent to 3,823.62.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained 3.41 per cent to US$95.56 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 3.73 per cent to $108.21 a barrel.
Last week, Brent oil had momentarily dropped to $97-levels. The price is volatile because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow oil to flow freely again from the Middle East, including access to the Strait of Hormuz.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 156.93 Japanese yen from 157.19 yen. The euro cost $1.1377, down from $1.1393.
Analysts say market players are closely watching upcoming inflation indicators to see if global central banks will stay hawkish, as they have been.
Also of interest of late are AI shares, as those companies continue to post strong earnings, despite public expressions from various influential people about the risks of the technology.
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Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press
