CAC 40 declined 0.4% to 8,006.66, DAX slid 0.4% to 18,571.98, FTSE 100 lost 0.3% to 8,257.46, Nikkei 225 dropped 0.1% to 38,683.93, Hang Seng index shed 0.6% to 18,366.95, the Shanghai Composite index was 0.1% higher at 3,051.28, S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.5% to 7,860.00, and Kospi soared 1.2% to 2,722.67
World stocks were mixed Friday after a steady Thursday on Wall Street as markets anticipated the release of key U.S. payrolls data later in the day.
The futures for the DJIA and the S&P 500 were less than 0.1% higher.
European stocks dropped in the early trading after the ECB cut its key interest rate from a record high of 4% on Thursday, leaving uncertainties for the policy’s next move.
France’s CAC 40 declined 0.4% to 8,006.66, and Germany’s DAX slid 0.4% to 18,571.98. Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 0.3% to 8,257.46.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 0.1% to 38,683.93 after Friday data showed household spending in April was up 0.5% year-on-year. This was the first rise since February 2023 and is a key indicator in assessing the country’s economy as central bank officials prepare to hold a policy meeting next week.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 0.6% to 18,366.95, while the Shanghai Composite index was 0.1% higher at 3,051.28 as China trade data showed that exports in May rose faster than expected at 7.6% compared to a year earlier, while imports were weaker than market forecasts.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.5% to 7,860.00. South Korea’s Kospi soared 1.2% to 2,722.67.
The S&P 500 barely budged on Thursday, a day after jumping to a record high for the 25th time this year. It slipped less than 0.1% to 5,352.96. The DJIA gained 0.2% to 38,886.17, while the Nasdaq composite slid 0.1% to 17,173.12 after hitting its own record.
Many retailers and other companies have been highlighting a split between their customers making lower and higher incomes. Inflation is especially hurting those at the lower end, who are struggling to keep up with a cost of living that’s still rising, even if inflation is not as fast as before.
Another factor that’s helped U.S. consumer spending stay so strong has been a remarkably solid job market. A report on Thursday showed some potential softening there as well.
