World Stocks Mixed As Japan’s Nikkei Falls

Global stock markets showed mixed results on Friday, with European markets opening lower while most Asian stocks advanced.

Germany's DAX slipped 0.1% to 19,417.91, while the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.4% to 7,473.20. I Photo: Pythagomath Wikimedia Commons

Japan's benchmark index, however, declined as investors awaited the outcome of an upcoming election, Zimo Zhong reported for the Associated Press (AP). Germany's DAX slipped 0.1% to 19,417.91, while the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.4% to 7,473.20.

In London, Britain's FTSE 100 edged down by 0.1% to 8,258.16. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures showed modest gains, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures both rising by 0.1%.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6% to 37,913.92 ahead of a snap general election set for Sunday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who recently took office, called the election to rally support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has been dealing with a political funding scandal.

Analysts suggest the LDP could face significant challenges, potentially altering Japan's economic outlook.

Meanwhile, the Japanese yen weakened slightly against the U.S. dollar, trading at 151.99 yen per dollar compared to 151.89 yen on Thursday. In contrast, other Asian markets performed better.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.5% to reach 20,590.15, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.6% to close at 3,299.70. China's central bank left its medium-term lending rate unchanged at 2% and injected 700 billion yuan ($98.3 billion) into the financial system through its medium-term lending facility.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi edged up by 0.1% to 2,583.27, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed slightly to 8,211.30, and Taiwan’s Taiex rose by 0.7%.