Global Stocks Mixed Tuesday
TOKYO (AP) -- Global financial markets were mixed Tuesday as uncertainty mounted over President Donald Trump's trade and regulatory policies.
KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 added 0.2 percent to 4,832.31 in early trading, while Germany's DAX inched up nearly 0.1 percent to 11,555.60. Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.5 percent to 7,186.68. Dow futures were virtually unchanged at 19,735, but S&P 500 futures fell 0.01 percent to 2,261.70.
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ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6 percent to finish at 18,787.99. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7 percent to 5,650.10. South Korea's Kospi was little changed, inching down 0.01 percent to 2,065.76. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2 percent to 22,936.63, while the Shanghai Composite ticked up 0.2 percent to 3,142.55. Benchmarks rose in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia, but fell in the Philippines.
SAMSUNG NEWS: Samsung Electronics gained nearly 0.3 percent after reporting fourth-quarter profit more than doubled from a year earlier on strong memory-chip and smartphone sales, despite its costly Galaxy Note 7 recalls. The South Korean company has said defects in batteries from two manufacturers made the devices prone to catching fire.
TRADE WORRIES: Many Asian economies rely on exports, so Trump's latest moves on trade and regulations raised concerns over future access to the U.S. market. Trump signed a memorandum saying the U.S. will withdraw from the trade pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He also said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
THE QUOTE: "The lack of any key U.S. economic data overnight had dealers focused exclusively on the Trump administration's trade policy and the signing of the executive order to pull out of the TPP," said Stephen Innes, senior trader at Oanda, of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude added 34 cents to $53.09. It fell 47 cents to close at $52.75 per barrel in New York overnight. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 41 cents $55.64 per barrel in London.
CURRENCIES: In currency markets, the dollar declined to 113.16 yen from 113.62 yen the previous day. The euro was little changed at $1.0742 from $1.0743.
(KA)