World shares are mixed ahead of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy
[August 18, 2025] By
ELAINE KURTENBACH
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed ahead of U.S. President Donald
Trump’s meeting later Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy and other European leaders.
Markets showed scant reaction to Trump’s inconclusive summit meeting
with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Investors are also
watching for cues from an annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, of
top central bankers later this week.
In early European trading, Germany's DAX lost 0.2% to 24,303.26, while
the CAC 40 in Paris dropped 0.5% to 7,881.74. Britain's FTSE 100 was
little changed at 9,137.31.
The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged
0.1% lower.
During Asia's day, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.8% to 43.714.31.
The Hang Seng in Hong Kong gave up early gains, losing 0.4% to close at
25,176.85.
The Shanghai Composite index jumped 1% to 3,732.44. It's trading near
it's highest level in a decade.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 picked up 0.2% to 8,959.30.
The Kospi in South Korea declined 1.5% to 3,177.28 on heavy selling of
semiconductor makers like Samsung Electronics, whose shares fell 2.2%.
SK Hynix lost 3.3% as investors fretted over the possibility of more
U.S. tariffs on computer chips.
Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy will include other European leaders who
were not included in the president's talks in Anchorage, Alaska, with
Putin. The European allies are seeking to present a united front in
safeguarding Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from
Moscow.
An annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, of top central bankers later
this week will be watched closely for hints about possible interest rate
cuts from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. He is due to speak Friday
at the economic policy conference.
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A currency trader watches 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, Monday,
Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
 “While the official theme is labor
markets, investors will scrutinize any hint of September policy
direction, especially after last week’s mixed inflation data,” Ipek
Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote said in a commentary, adding that “any
progress on Ukraine peace talks could push global equities higher
still.”
Expectations have been building that the Fed will cut interest rates
at its next meeting in September, though mixed reports on the U.S.
economy have undercut those bets somewhat.
One report Friday said shoppers boosted their spending at U.S.
retailers last month, while another said manufacturing in New York
state unexpectedly grew. A third said industrial production across
the country shrank last month, when economists were looking for
modest growth.
Yet another report suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers is
worsening because of worries about inflation, when economists
expected to see a slight improvement.
On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%. The Dow industrials edged 0.1%
higher, while the Nasdaq composite sank 0.4%.
In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil rose 7
cents to $62.87 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international
standard, climbed 3 cents to $65.88 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar rose to 147.37 Japanese yen from 147.18 yen. The
euro slipped to $1.1682 from $1.1703.
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