World shares were mostly higher on Wednesday, following a relatively steady performance of U.S. stocks on Wall Street. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 saw gains, while Britain’s FTSE 100 also rose. In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 experienced a decline, with Nintendo Co.’s share price sinking due to disappointing forecasts. Sony Corp. also saw a drop amid speculation of a potential buyout. Market players are closely monitoring the yen’s weakness against the U.S. dollar, with Japanese officials expressing concern and the Ministry of Finance intervening. The Bank of Japan’s governor, Kazuo Ueda, mentioned the possibility of responding with monetary policy. The yen’s weakness has impacted the purchasing power of households and businesses in Japan. In other parts of Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index and Shanghai Composite index fell, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 and South Korea’s Kospi saw gains. Taiwan’s Taiex also experienced a slight increase.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average showed minimal gains, while the Nasdaq composite slipped slightly. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks about the central bank’s stance on interest rates and a cooler-than-expected jobs report have contributed to market stability.
In the oil market, U.S. benchmark crude oil and Brent crude oil both experienced declines. The euro also dropped against the U.S. dollar.