World shares mostly gain, as Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 hits a record high, and oil prices climb
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares advanced on Tuesday, with Tokyo’s benchmark setting another record, while U.S. futures edged lower. The prices of oil and precious metals also climbed.
In early European trading, Germany’s DAX edged 0.1% higher to 24,890.59, while the CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.3% to 8,186.45. Britain’s FTSE 100 picked up 0.5% to 10,056.36.
The future for the S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.3% to surpass the record it set in late October, closing at 52,518.08.
South Korea’s Kospi also pushed further into record territory, gaining 1.5% to 4,525.98, buoyed by gains for automakers and some electronics manufacturers.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 1.4% to 26,710.45, and the Shanghai Composite index was up 1.5% at 4,083.67, its highest level in four years.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.5% to 8,682.80.
Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 1.6%, while in India, the Sensex shed 0.5%.
This week will bring reports on the U.S. jobs market, including updates on job openings and overall employment.
Monday’s gains on Wall Street were broad, with particularly big jumps for energy companies and banks. Elsewhere, industrial companies and retailers joined in to help boost major indexes.
The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, ending just below its record set in late December. The Dow set a record, adding 1.2% to 48,977.18.
The Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%.
Smaller company stocks had a particularly strong day, outpacing other indexes, in a sign of broader investor confidence. The Russell 2000 rose 1.6%.
Energy companies and the oil market were a key focus after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces over the weekend. Venezuela’s oil industry has been decimated by neglect and international sanctions and may require years of substantial investments to restore past production levels.
On Monday, prices for U.S. crude and Brent crude, the international standard, gained 1.7%.
Oil fell back early Tuesday before rebounding. U.S. crude was up 20 cents at $58.52 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 27 cents to $62.03 per barrel.
The reports on the jobs market will be a focus for investors as the U.S. central bank weighs weakening employment against risks for rising inflation as it decides whether to cut interest rates. They Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate three times late in 2025, but inflation has remained above its 2% target and that has made the Fed more cautious.
Technology companies, especially those developing artificial intelligence, were in the spotlight Monday as the industry kicked off the annual CES trade show in Las Vegas. Nvidia fell 0.4% and Applied Materials jumped 5.7%.
AI advances helped propel the broader market to a series of records in 2025. Updates from influential technology companies could help shed more light on whether the big investments in AI are worth the potential financial risks.
In other trading early Tuesday, the U.S. dollar slipped to 156.28 Japanese yen from 156.40 yen. The euro rose to $1.1739 from $1.1724.
Gold gained 0.2% after a 2.8% jump on Monday. The price of silver added another 1.2% after soaring 7.9% on Monday. Such assets are often considered safe havens in times of geopolitical turmoil. The metals have notched record prices over the last year amid lingering economic concerns brought on by conflicts and trade wars.
Bitcoin fell 0.6% to about $94,000.