HONG KONG (AP) — European markets opened higher on Friday while Asian shares ended mixed after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates again to ease pressure on the U.S. economy.
Germany’s DAX slipped 0.1% to 19,362,32. In Paris, the CAC 40 edged 0.1% lower to 7,417.13. Britain’s FTSE 100 also fell 0.1%, to 8,132.48.
The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were virtually unchanged.
Markets in Hong Kong and Shanghai fell as investors awaited much-anticipated steps by Beijing to rev up the slowing Chinese economy following a meeting of the legislature’s Standing Committee.
“If Beijing delivers, we might see a powerful rally ripple through the region as investors gear up for a fresh surge in market momentum,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
Officials announced a 6 trillion yuan ($839 billion), three-year plan to help local governments refinance their many trillions of debt that has ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic and a collapse of the property market.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng erased early gains, falling 1.1% to 20,728.19. The Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.5% to 3,452.30.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.3% to 39,500.37.
Shares in Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Corp. plummeted 6% on Friday after the company on Thursday announced that it will dismiss 9,000 workers and slash its global production capacity by 20% due to falling sales and rising costs and inventory.
In South Korea, the Kospi shed 0.1% to 2,561.15, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8% to 8,295.10.
On Thursday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.7%, adding to its surge from the day before following Donald Trump’s presidential victory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually unchanged, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.5%.
The Fed’s announcement that it was easing its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point caused few ripples in the market because even the precise size of it was so well anticipated by investors.
The central bank began easing rates in September and indicated more cuts were likely to come, as it focuses more on keeping the job market humming after helping get inflation nearly down to its 2% target. What’s less certain in the minds of investors now is how much Trump’s victory may upset the Fed’s plans.
Trump is pushing for tariffs and other policies that economists say could drive inflation higher, along with the economy’s growth. Traders have already begun paring forecasts for how many cuts to rates the Fed will deliver next year because of that. While lower rates can boost the economy, they can also give inflation more fuel.
