World shares experienced a mixed trading session on Monday, with U.S. stocks retreating slightly from their recent all-time high. Many Asian markets were closed for holidays, contributing to the subdued trading activity.
In early European trading, major indices showed declines. Germany's DAX dropped 1.1%, the CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.8%, and Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.3%. Meanwhile, futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average also pointed to lower openings.
Shares in Hong Kong saw a boost following updates on a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, DeepSeek. This news led to a rise in Chinese tech companies' stocks, while technology shares in the U.S. and Japan faced selling pressure.
However, the Shanghai Composite index fell after a survey revealed a drop in export orders in China, with the official manufacturing purchasing managers index slipping into contractionary territory.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 declined as the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to its highest level since 2008. This move impacted computer chip-related shares, with notable declines in Tokyo Electron and Advantest.
Major currency pairs saw relatively stable trading, with the U.S. dollar holding steady against the Japanese yen and the euro slipping slightly.
On Wall Street, U.S. stocks pulled back from their record highs, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq composite all closing lower. The bond market's influence on stock prices remained a key factor, with Treasury yields impacting market movements.
Despite some weaker-than-expected economic reports, including U.S. consumer sentiment and business activity, traders remained optimistic about the ongoing earnings reporting season for big U.S. companies.
Looking ahead, traders are not anticipating any immediate changes to the Federal Reserve's main interest rate at its upcoming meeting, based on current market data.
In the energy markets, U.S. benchmark crude oil and Brent crude both experienced slight declines in early Monday trading.
