World shares are mixed and Japan's yen slips after AI stocks push higher
on Wall Street
[December 22, 2025] By
ELAINE KURTENBACH
World shares were mixed on Monday after a rebound in AI-related stocks
like Nvidia spurred a late-in-the-week rally on Wall Street.
Germany's DAX edged 0.1% higher to 24,315.90, while the CAC 40 in Paris
slipped 0.2% to 8,135.23. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.3% to 9,864.71.
The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.4% while that for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average gained 0.2%.
In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 1.8% to 50,402.39, helped by
hefty gains for computer chip makers and other companies benefiting from
the boom for artificial intelligence.
Semiconductor maker Tokyo Electron jumped 6.3% while chip testing
equipment maker Advantest gained 4.5%.
Financial companies and exporters also saw gains after the Bank of Japan
raised its key policy rate on Friday to its highest level in 30 years.
Instead of causing the Japanese yen to strengthen as might be expected,
it has fallen.
Early Monday, the dollar bought 157.45 yen, down from 157.60 late
Friday. Heavy selling of the yen for dollars caused a top Finance
Ministry official in charge of foreign exchange issues, Atsushi Mimura,
to warn that regulators would act to curb any excessive fluctuations in
the currency.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng picked up 0.4% to 25,901.77. The Shanghai
Composite index advanced 0.7% to 3,917.36.
China's central bank left its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates
unchanged, as expected.
Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi added 2.1% to 4,105.93 and
Taiwan's Taiex was 1.6% higher, helped by a 2.5% gain for chip maker
TSMC.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 0.9% to 8,699.90.
“Asian equity markets are stepping onto the floor with a constructive
bias, taking their cue from Friday’s solid rebound in U.S. stocks and
the growing belief that the final stretch of the year still belongs to
the bulls,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.9%, edging 0.1% higher for the week. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%, while the Nasdaq composite index
advanced 1.3%, nothing a 0.5% gain for the week.
Nvidia was the biggest force driving the market higher, with a 3.9%
gain. Broadcom jumped 3.2%.
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A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's
Nikkei index at a securities firm Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Tokyo.
(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
 The technology sector has been
fueling Wall Street throughout the year as companies with outsized
values like Nvidia exert more pressure on markets. But, those pricey
stock values have come under more scrutiny from investors wondering
whether they are justifiable.
Oracle rose 6.6% on news that it, along with two other investors,
had signed agreements to form a new TikTok U.S. joint ventur e.
Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX each get a 15% share in the popular
social video platform, ensuring that it can continue operating in
the U.S.
Homebuilders fell following a report showing that home sales slowed
from a year earlier for the first time since May. KB Home fell 8.5%.
A survey from the University of Michigan showed that consumer
sentiment in December improved slightly from November, but is deeply
diminished from a year earlier.
Consumer confidence has been weakening throughout the year as
persistent inflation squeezes consumers. The job market is also
slowing while retail sales weaken. Businesses and consumers are also
worrying about the continued impact of a wide-ranging U.S.-led trade
war that has targeted key partners including China and Canada.
Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The
central bank cut its benchmark interest rate at its most recent
meeting. It has been concerned about the slowing job market hurting
the economy. But cutting interest rates could add more fuel to
inflation, which could also stunt economic growth.
The Fed has maintained a cautious stance about interest rate policy
heading into 2026 and Wall Street is mostly betting that it will
hold steady on rates at its next meeting in January.
In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 57
cents to $57.09 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard,
was up 58 cents at $61.05 per barrel.
The euro climbed to $1.1726 from $1.1720.
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