Global shares showed a mixed performance on Tuesday as Chinese markets resumed trading after the Lunar New Year break. France's CAC 40 gained 0.3%, reaching 7,788.86, while Germany's DAX dipped 0.3% to 17,047.67. The UK's FTSE 100 remained relatively unchanged, edging up less than 0.1% to 7,732.31. In the U.S., Dow futures slipped nearly 0.2% to 38,621.00, and S&P 500 futures were down 0.2% to 5,007.50.
Investors were feeling less optimistic due to expectations of imminent interest rate hikes. China's central bank maintained its 1-year loan prime rate but reduced its 5-year rate by 25 basis points to 3.95%, a move aimed at supporting the property market and improving affordability for buyers.
Stocks in China rose, while Tokyo, Sydney, and Seoul saw declines. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.6% to 16,247.51, and the Shanghai Composite rose 0.4% to 2,922.73. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% to 38,363.61, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped less than 0.1% to 7,659.00, and South Korea's Kospi lost 0.8% to 2,657.79.
A U.S. report on wholesale inflation indicated ongoing price increases, dampening hopes of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in March. In energy trading, U.S. benchmark crude rose by 6 cents to $79.25 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 28 cents to $83.33 per barrel.
Regarding currency trading, the U.S. dollar strengthened against the Japanese yen, rising to 150.32 yen from 150.10 yen. The euro saw a slight decline, costing $1.0778 compared to $1.0783.
