World shares are mixed ahead of meeting between Trump and Putin
[August 14, 2025] By
TERESA CEROJANO
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — World shares were mixed Thursday ahead of a
key meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President
Vladimir Putin at the week’s end.
Bitcoin briefly rose more than 3% to a new record of over $123,000,
according to CoinDesk. It later fell back below $122,000.
The future for the S&P 500 was unchanged, while that for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.
Later Thursday, a report will show how bad U.S. inflation was at the
wholesale level across the United States. Economists expect it to show
inflation ticked up to 2.4% in July from 2.3% in June.
In early European trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 was flat at 9,165.01 after
the government reported that the UK economy grew at a faster than
expected 1.2% annual pace in the last quarter. In quarterly terms, the
economy grew 0.3%, slowing from a 0.7% expansion in January-March.
Germany's DAX rose 0.5% to 24,296.02. In Paris, the CAC 40 added 0.4% to
7,832.60.
Europe is bracing for Trump's encounter with Putin, though the U.S.
president has said he will prioritize trying to achieve a ceasefire in
Ukraine when he meets with Putin on Friday in Anchorage.
The Trump-Putin meeting could have major implications for energy
markets, potentially leading to an easing of sanctions against Moscow,
or an escalation if no progress is made on ending the war in Ukraine.
Early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude rose 28 cents to $62.93 per barrel.
Brent crude, the international standard, added 32 cents to $65.95 per
barrel.
During Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell nearly 1.5% to 42,649.26
as investors sold to lock in recent gains that have taken the benchmark
to all-time records.
The Japanese yen rose against the dollar after U.S. Treasury Secretary
Scott Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg that Japan was “behind
the curve” in monetary tightening. He was referring to the slow pace of
increases in Japan’s near-zero interest rates.
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Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea
Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing
room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday,
Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
 Low interest rates tend to make the
yen weaker against the dollar, giving Japanese exporters a cost
advantage in overseas sales.
The dollar fell to 146.50 Japanese yen Thursday, down from 147.39
yen. The euro slid to $1.1681 from $1.1705.
In Chinese markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index shed 0.4% to
25,519.32, while the Shanghai composite index slid 0.5% to 3,666.44.
South Korea’s Kospi rose less than 0.1% to 3,225.66.
In Australia, the S&P ASX 200 index added 0.5% to 8,873.80.
Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.5% and India’s Sensex edged 0.2% higher.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks ticked higher, extending a global rally
fueled by hopes the Federal Reserve will cut U.S. interest rates.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Dow climbed 1%. The Nasdaq composite
added 0.1%.
Treasury yields eased in the bond market in anticipation that the
Fed will cut its main interest rate for the first time this year at
its next meeting in September. Lower rates can boost investment
prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and
businesses to borrow to buy houses, cars or equipment, though they
risk worsening inflation.
Trump has angrily been calling for cuts to help the economy, often
insulting the Fed Chair Jerome Powell while doing so.
But the Fed has hesitated, worried that Trump’s sweeping higher
tariffs could make inflation much worse. Fed officials have said
they want to see more fresh data about inflation before moving.
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