Stock market today: A mixed day for world shares as Wall Street steadies

BANGKOK -- World shares were mixed on Thursday after the latest U.S. economic data calmed frazzled nerves on Wall Street.

U.S. futures edged lower, with the contract for the S&P 500 down 0.2% and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average less than 0.1% lower. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday to observe a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.

In early European trading, Germany's DAX lost 0.2% to 20,285.80, while the CAC 40 in Paris was nearly unchanged, at 7,454.28. Britain's FTSE 100 surged 0.6% to 8,302.33.

Asian markets mostly declined as caution revived over a likely deepening of trade friction once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Shares fell in Tokyo after Japan reported strong wage growth for November, data that might help persuade its central bank to raise interest rates. The Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.9% to 39,605.09, while the dollar slipped against the Japanese yen. A dollar bought 158.08 yen, down from 158.36 late Wednesday.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged 0.2% lower, to 19,240.89, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.6% to 3,211.39. The government reported that the consumer price index rose 0.1% in December from a year earlier, while wholesale or producer prices dropped 2.3%, signaling that demand remains slack in the world's second-largest economy.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.2% to 8,329.20.

South Korea's Kospi edged less than 0.1% higher, to 2,521.90 despite strong gains for technology companies and automakers.

Taiwan's Taiex sank 1.4% and the Sensex in India was down 0.7%. In Bangkok, the SET slipped 1.8%.

“Investors continue to navigate the unpredictable ‘what if’ trading landscape molded by Trump’s presidency — where the initial enthusiasm for tax cuts is now overshadowed by mounting concerns over proposed tariffs and bizarre geopolitical aspirations, like purchasing Greenland or exerting more control over the Panama Canal,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

On Wednesday, Wall Street was steady a day after strong reports on the economy stirred up worries that inflation and interest rates may remain higher than expected.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite edged 0.1% lower. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks fell 0.5%.

Edison International tumbled 10.2% as massive wildfires burned in the Los Angeles area. The company’s Southern California Edison utility said Wednesday it shut off power to nearly 120,000 customers in six counties over safety concerns due to high winds and the risk of wildfires.

The bond market, which has been a bigger focus for Wall Street recently, moved in a narrow range after Fed Governor Christopher Waller said in a speech that he still expects the central bank to ease rates further in 2025, pushing back against speculation it may already be done after cutting three times since September.

The yield on the two-year Treasury, which tends to closely track expectations for Fed action, fell to 4.27% from 4.29% late Tuesday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is the centerpiece of the bond market, eased to 4.67% from 4.69% late Tuesday. It was below 3.65% in September.

Waller said he doesn’t expect tariffs that are possibly coming under President-elect Donald Trump to have a “significant or persistent effect” on inflation. And even though inflation has shown stubbornness recently, he still sees it trending downward over the long term.

Higher bond yields hurt stocks by making it more expensive for companies and households to borrow and by pulling some investors toward bonds and away from stocks.

Reports on the economy Wednesday added to hope for cuts to short-term interest rates that could goose the economy and boost prices for investments.

A report Wednesday suggested that U.S. private sector employers slowed hiring in December by more than expected. A more comprehensive jobs report from the Labor Department is due Friday. The hope is that the jobs report will show enough strength to keep worries of a recession stifled but not so much that it keeps the Fed from cutting rates.

A separate report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected in the latest signal that the job market remains remarkably solid.

In other dealings early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 16 cents to $73.16 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 8 cents to $76.08 per barrel.

The euro fell to $1.0312 from $1.0319.