Global shares were trading mixed on Wednesday as markets assessed the impact of tariffs imposed by the United States and China. In early trading, France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX both experienced slight declines, while Britain's FTSE 100 also dipped. U.S. shares were set to open lower, with Dow futures and S&P 500 futures showing a decrease.
Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended the day nearly unchanged after recovering from earlier losses. Honda Motor Co.'s stock price surged following reports of failed talks with Nissan Motor Corp., which saw a significant drop in its stock value. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose, while the Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite in China both experienced losses.
South Korea's Kospi index saw a notable increase as investors sought opportunities after recent price declines and drew optimism from Wall Street's performance. Analysts are closely monitoring the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with President Trump implementing tariffs on Chinese imports and China retaliating with its own tariffs and an antitrust investigation into Google.
While Trump has delayed tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, concerns remain about the potential for a prolonged trade war. Energy trading saw a decline in benchmark U.S. crude and Brent crude prices. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar weakened against the Japanese yen and the euro edged up slightly.
