European shares gain, Asia lower on weak Japan GDP data

World share prices were mixed Wednesday, with European benchmarks posting modest gains after a day of losses in most major Asian markets. China-U.S. trade talks, North Korea’s cancellation of meetings with South Korea and weaker than expected Japanese economic growth weighed on sentiment.

KEEPING SCORE: Germany’s DAX added 0.2 per cent to 12,992.35 and the CAC 40 of France edged 0.1 per cent higher to 5,559.51. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.2 per cent to 7,739.10. The future for the S&P 500 climbed 0.1 per cent to 2,712.40 and the future for the Dow also gained 0.1 per cent to 24,687.00, pointing to early gains on Wall Street.

ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index lost 0.4 per cent to 22,712.23 and the Kospi in South Korea edged less than 0.1 per cent higher to 2,459.82. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.1 per cent to 31,110.20, but the S&P ASX 200 added 0.2 per cent to 6,107.00. The Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.7 per cent to 3,169.57 and shares in Southeast Asia were mixed.

NORTH KOREA: North Korea cancelled a high-level meeting with South Korea, threatening to scrap a historic summit next month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over military exercises between Seoul and Washington that Pyongyang has long claimed are rehearsals for invasion.

TRADE TALKS: As the Trump administration resumes talks in Washington with senior Chinese officials seeking to ward off a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, American companies were seeking relief from tariffs the president has threatened to impose on at least $50 billion in Chinese goods.

JAPAN ECONOMY: Japan’s economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.6 per cent in the January-March quarter, as private investment and public spending declined, according to Cabinet Office data released Wednesday. The latest data showed consumer spending was flat — long a challenge in a country where wages have stagnated for decades.

QUOTABLE: “Trade friction between the U.S. and other major countries … including China, and prolonged negotiations could weigh on demand for Japanese machinery and electric parts and devices, and delay the recovery in exports,” Nobumasa Takeuchi of IHS Markit said in a commentary.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil gave up 27 cents to $71.04 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Monday it rose 35 cents to settle at $71.31 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oil, shed 49 cents to $77.94 a barrel in London.

CURRENCY: The dollar fell to 110.21 yen from 110.36 yen late Tuesday. The euro weakened to $1.1833 from $1.1839.