Business

Global stock markets mixed on final trading day of 2016

Global stock markets mixed on final trading day of 2016

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kumamon, the popular black bear mascot of Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, poses for photographers before ringing the closing bell as four-time Olympic wrestling champion Kaori Icho (right) smiles during a ceremony of the last trading day at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo, on Friday, December 30, 2016. Photo: AP

SEOUL: Global stock markets were mixed Friday with little economic news to move the final trading day of 2016. Keeping Score: Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent to 7,104.81. France's CAC 40 declined 0.2 percent to 4,830.33 and Germany's DAX was down 0.1 percent to 11,435.83. Futures augured a lackluster start on Wall Street. Dow futures advanced 0.2 percent and S&P futures also gained 0.2 percent. Asia's Day: Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 percent to 19,114.37 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1 percent to 22,000.56. China's Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.2 percent to close at 3,103.64. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.6 percent to 5,665.80. Markets in Southeast Asia were higher. South Korean markets were closed for holiday. Analyst's Take: 'Wall Street can be seen repositioning toward the New Year and that could be the case for Asia as well amid moderate movements in major markets,' said Jingyi Pan, a market strategist at IG in Singapore. 'Pressure may nevertheless set in for markets that have underperformed lately in Asia.' Oil: Benchmark US crude added 23 cents to $54.00 per barrel in New York. The contract fell 29 cents to close at $53.77 a barrel on Thursday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 23 cents to $57.08 a barrel in London. Currencies: The dollar strengthened to 117.09 yen from 116.37 yen. The euro fell to $1.0511 from $1.0556.