A stock trader follows stock information on electronic screens at the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, in New York. Gains for banks and travel companies are pulling U.S. stock indexes to record levels on Tuesday. AP
BEIJING — Global stock markets were mixed in a narrow range Wednesday after U.S. stocks hit record levels despite attacks in Germany and Turkey.
KEEPING SCORE: In early trading, France’s CAC-40 was off 0.1 percent at 4,846.69 and Germany’s DAX was unchanged at 11,468.44. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent to 7,043.96. Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index were unchanged.
ANALYST’S TAKE: “It’s a good day to be an equity bull, however, it’s a slow grind higher as opposed to an explosion in demand and the moves we are seeing in many markets are fairly subdued,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG, said in a commentary.
GLOBAL ATTACKS: Measured reactions in Turkey and Russia after a gunman killed Russian’s ambassador to Turkey suggest the two sides will persist in trying to resolve differences over the war in Syria. The assassination came ahead of a meeting Wednesday on Syria involving Turkey, which backs opponents of President Bashar Assad’s government, and Russia and Iran, which support the Syrian regime.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a truck attack on a crowded Berlin Christmas market that killed at least 12 people and injured 48. Germany is not involved in anti-IS combat operations, but has Tornado jets and a refueling plane stationed in Turkey in support of the coalition fighting militants in Syria.
ASIA’S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.1 percent to 3,137.43 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 0.4 percent to 21,809.80. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 0.3 percent to 19,444.49 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 rose 0.4 percent to 5,613.50. Seoul’s Kospi retreated 0.2 percent to 2,037.96 and India’s Sensex added 0.2 percent to 26,350.10. Jakarta declined while New Zealand and other Southeast Asian benchmarks rose.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 40 cents to $53.69 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 24 cents on Tuesday to close at $53.30. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 38 cents to $55.73 in London. It gained 43 cents in the previous session to $55.35.
CURRENCY: The dollar declined to 117.50 yen from Tuesday’s 117.88 yen. The euro edged up to $1.0400 from $1.0391. TVJ