TOKYO — Global shares are trading mixed Thursday amid investor interest in technology-related issues and ongoing worries about the war in Iran. France’s CAC 40 declined 1.8 per cent in early trading to 7,822.48, while the German DAX dipped 1.4 per cent to 24,851.94. Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 1.8 per cent to 10,413.86. U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 0.4 per cent at 50,981.00. S&P 500 futures were little changed, inching up less than 0.1 per cent to 7,720.00. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 3.3 per cent to finish at 68,956.72. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost nearly 2.0 per cent to 8,614.40. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 2.0 per cent to 6,971.35. Hong Kong and Shanghai markets were closed for a national holiday. In Tokyo trading, issues expected to get a boost from the solid demand in computer chips and AI-related growth finished higher, including Advantest Corp., Tokyo Electron and SoftBank Group Corp. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 2.06 per cent to US$92.28 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 2.03 per cent to $100.02 a barrel. Oil prices have been swinging wildly in recent months amid uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the flow of crude to be fully restored. Iranian officials indicated Wednesday they have received an official U.S. response to Tehran’s latest proposal to end the seven-month war. The officials did not say what the latest response contained and whether it was a rejection. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly rejected Iran’s proposal just days earlier to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the U.S. meets certain conditions. The trend for a weakening yen didn’t change despite a report from the Bank of Japan that gave a positive read on the economy. Its quarterly “tankan” survey Thursday, widely viewed as a key indicator on Japan ’s economic vitality, showed large manufacturers’ sentiment is up slightly. The key indicator of business sentiment has now been improving for the sixth quarter straight. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 158.28 Japanese yen from 157.33 yen. The euro cost $1.1296, down from $1.1334. ___ Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press
