World stocks mixed as 2023 draws to a close
Some world markets logged solid gains in 2023 while many have sagged
On Friday Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gave up 0.2%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ended flat, Shanghai Composite index gained 0.7%
Bangkok: European shares opened higher on Friday after a mixed session in Asia on the last trading day of the year for most markets. Germany's DAX rose 0.3 per cent to 16,745.67 and the CAC 40 in Paris climbed 0.4 per cent to 7,566.11. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.2 per cent higher to 7,736.52. The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.1 per cent.
Some world markets logged solid gains in 2023 while many have sagged. Benchmarks in France and Germany made double-digit advances while Britain's has climbed just under 3 per cent. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gave up 0.2 per cent to 33,464.17. It gained 27 per cent in 2023, its best year in a decade as the Japanese central bank inched toward ending its longstanding ultra-lax monetary policy after inflation finally exceeded its target of about 2 per cent.
The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong ended flat at 17,047.39, while the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.7 per cent to 2,974.93. The Shanghai index lost about 3 per cent this year and the Hang Seng fell nearly 14 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3 per cent to 7,590.80, having gained about 6 per cent for the year. Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.1 per cent higher. It ended the year up more than 26 per cent, powered by strong gains for semiconductor makers. Markets were closed in South Korea and Thailand.
On Thursday, Wall Street was mostly quiet ahead of the final trading day of the year, though every major index is on track for weekly gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.1 per cent and was on track for its ninth straight week of gains. It is up more than 24 per cent for the year. A two-month rally has also pushed the benchmark index closer to breaking its all-time high set in January of 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1 per cent and has gained 3.5 per cent in 2023. The Nasdaq composite fell less than 0.1 per cent. It has far outpaced the broader market this year and is on track to close 2023 with a gain of more than 44 per cent.
There are few economic indicators out of Washington this week.
