BANGKOK: World shares were mixed Friday and US futures declined as optimism over the US-Iran deal to end their war was dimmed by the postponement of high-stakes talks on reopening negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and getting oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
US markets will be closed Friday for Juneteenth.
Planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to war were delayed, while Israel's military said its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.
“Both sides are trying to show some good faith,” Bas van Geffen of Rabo Research said in a commentary. “But even if the water appears calmer, there is still a strong undertow. The agreement remains fragile on multiple fronts.”
Still, in early European trading, Germany's DAX rose 0.4 per cent to 25,129.38, while the CAC 40 in Paris also gained 0.4 per cent, to 8,499.08. Britain's FTSE 100 edged less than 0.1 per cent higher, to 10,406.28.
The future for the S&P500 slipped 0.2 per cent while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was less than 0.1 per cent lower.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 wavered between gains and losses but closed 0.3 per cent higher at a new record of 71,250.06. The government reported that consumer prices excluding volatile fresh foods was unchanged, but analysts said it would likely pick up in coming months despite higher fuel costs.
Higher inflation was a factor driving the Bank of Japan to raise its benchmark interest rate earlier this week to a three-decade high of 1 per cent as it gradually adjusts its policies after years of near-zero or negative rates.
In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.1 per cent to 9,052.42 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia declined 0.9 per cent to 8,828.70.
India's Sensex lost 0.9 per cent.
Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed for the Dragon Boat festival.
On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies. The decline on Wednesday was driven by anticipation that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates this year in an effort to fight inflation.
The S&P 500 rose 1.1 per cent and the Dow industrials added 0.1 per cent. The Nasdaq composite surged 1.9 per cent.
Technology stocks had some of the biggest gains and the most influence on the broader market's rise. Intel surged 10.6 per cent after US President Donald Trump announced that the semiconductor giant will make chips for Apple in the US. Other big semiconductor companies gained ground. Nvidia rose 3 per cent and Micron Technology jumped 8.7 per cent.
On the losing end, SpaceX fell for the second straight day since its big debut on the US stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.6 per cent following a 4.9 per cent loss Wednesday.
Oil prices wavered after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic. Brent crude, the international standard, spent most of the day lower before settling 0.4 per cent higher at USD 79.85 per barrel. US benchmark crude fell 0.2 per cent to USD 75.85 per barrel.
Early Friday, Brent crude was down 0.2 per cent at USD 79.68 per barrel. US benchmark crude edged 0.1 per cent higher, to USD 75.91 per barrel.
Prices for crude oil are still above roughly USD 70 per barrel from before the war but are well below the USD 100-plus price from a few weeks ago.
Rising energy costs have been putting more pressure on already hot inflation. The average price of gasoline in the US has dipped below USD 4 a gallon but is still 25 per cent higher than a year ago. Prices have been rising for a wide range of goods because of higher shipping costs.
The Federal Reserve kept is key interest rate unchanged this week but hotter inflation means it will likely raise rates by the end of the year. Lower interest rates make borrowing easier for businesses and households, spurring growth, but they also tend to stoke inflation.
In other dealings early Friday, the US dollar fell to 161.29 Japanese yen from 161.38 yen. The euro rose to USD 1.1464 from USD 1.1458.