TOKYO, Sept 24:
Global shares traded mixed Wednesday following a drop on Wall Street, as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said stock prices were “fairly highly valued.”
France’s CAC 40 slipped nearly 0.2 per cent in early trading to 7,857.54, while the German DAX dipped nearly 0.3 per cent to 23,589.16. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2 per cent to 9,209.94. US shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures inching up less than 0.1 per cent at 46,644.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.2 per cent to 6,725.50.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 recouped morning losses to finish 0.3 per cent higher at 45,630.31. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.9 per cent to 8,764.50. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.4 per cent to 3,472.14. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.4 per cent to 26,518.65, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.8 per cent to 3,853.64.
US stocks took a pause from their relentless rally, in the first pullback for the indexes after the trio set all-time highs in each of the last three days. Powell said Tuesday that the Fed is stuck in an unusual position because worries about the job market are rising at the same time that inflation has stubbornly remained above its 2 per cent target.
They were his first public remarks since the Fed cut its main interest rate last week for the first time this year. Analysts said his comments reiterated his stance that there is no risk-free path.
“Essentially the Fed Chairman confirmed what we already knew, which is that the central bank remains somewhat between ‘a rock and a hard place’ when it comes to managing the risks of rising inflation and falling employment,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
Fed officials have pencilled in more cuts to rates through the end of this year and into next, but they are remaining wary because lower rates can also give inflation more fuel.
An update Friday will show how much prices are rising for US households based on the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, and economists expect it to show a slight acceleration for last month.
In energy trading, benchmark US crude lost 12 cents to USD 63.29 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 9 cents to USD 67.54 a barrel.
In currency trading, the US dollar rose to 148.15 Japanese Yen from 147.56 Yen. The Euro cost USD 1.1777, down from USD 1.1818. (AP)
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