MANILA, Philippines — European shares were mixed in early trading while Asian shares mostly fell on Friday after a respite from Wall Street’s recent feverish rally. The price of gold also pulled back from record highs following recent torrid runs.
The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were both up less than 0.1 per cent. Oil prices slipped.
In early European trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.2 per cent to 24,652.73, while France’s CAC 40 added 0.4 per cent to 8,076.96.
Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.1 per cent to 9,498.95, weighed down by losses for mining and energy stocks.
Most Asian indexes fell. But South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1.7 per cent to 3,610.60 as trading reopened after a holiday. India’s BSE Sensex also gained, adding 0.5 per cent.
The Kospi’s surge was fuelled by a rally of tech shares including SK Hynix, which rose 8.2 per cent. Samsung Electronics added 6.1 per cent, boosted by news that Nvidia-backed Reflection AI had raised US$2 billion in funding, increasing its market value to $8 billion.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 1 per cent lower to 48,088.80, pulling back from big gains the previous day after data showed producer prices rose more than expected in September.
Political uncertainty also loomed after the ruling Liberal Democrats failed to persuade their junior coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, to stay. The Komeito’s leader said the group was unhappy with the Liberal Democrats’ stance on cleaning up corruption.
The Komeito’s move was a significant blow to hopes for LDP leader Sanae Takaichi, an ultra-conservative lawmaker, to become Japan’s first female prime minister.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 1.8 per cent to 26,277.84, while the Shanghai Composite index slipped nearly 1 per cent to 3,897.03.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slid more than 0.1 per cent to 8,958.30. Taiwan’s stock market was closed for a holiday.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3 per cent from its latest all-time high for just its second loss in the last 10 days. The Dow dropped 0.5 per cent and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.1 per cent.
Gold also fell following its stellar rally this year, losing 2.4 per cent to drop back below $4,000 per ounce, while Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. They’re taking a moment following big runs driven in large part by expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to support the economy.
Financial markets have been climbing so relentlessly, including a 35 per cent leap for the S&P 500 from a low in April, that worries are mounting that prices may have shot too high. Concerns are particularly strong about the frenzy lifting stocks related to artificial-intelligence technology.
In other dealings early Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 6 cents to $61.45 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, edged down 14 cents to $65.08 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar fell to 152.71 Japanese yen from 153.05 yen. The euro rose to $1.1585 from $1.1569.
Teresa Cerojano, The Associated Press