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France's CAC 40 gained 0.2% in early trading to 7,988.84, while
the German DAX edged down 0.1% to 26,008.99. Britain's FTSE 100
added nearly 0.4% to 10,759.33. U.S. shares were set to trade
mixed with Dow futures up 0.2% at 52,613.00, while S&P 500
futures were down 0.8% at 7,689.00.
In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 2.1% to finish at
63,290.11. At the end of its two-day monetary policy board
meeting, the Bank of Japan decided to keep its benchmark
interest rate unchanged at 1.25%. That was widely expected
because the central bank raised the rate last month.
The U.S. has been pressuring Japan to raise rates because of
concerns about the weakening yen. In currency trading, the U.S.
dollar fell to 157.28 Japanese yen from 157.65 yen. The euro
cost $1.1196, up from $1.1181.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2% to 8,908.10. South Korea's
Kospi declined 3.5% to 5,730.74, as shares in SK Hynix and
Samsung Electronics both slipped.
AI-related stocks have been volatile. Shares of chipmakers and
other companies have risen on enthusiasm for the technology,
then fallen on concerns about issues such as supply constraints.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.5% to 23,294.42, while the
Shanghai Composite lost 1.4% to 3,599.02.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained 1.53% to $103.56
a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, edged up
1.65% to $116.77 a barrel.
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