Global shares and the price of oil stabilized yesterday during European trading hours after the Federal Reserve issued a reminder it is still on track to raise interest rates this year. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 10,734.45 and France's CAC-40 gained 0.3 percent to 4,625.36. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.3 percent to 6,802.70. Wall Street looked set for gains after two days of losses. Dow and S&P 500 futures were up 0.5 percent. The Federal Reserve issued its first policy statement of the year, making clear that it would remain "patient" in raising interest rates from near zero, which was expected. But it also strengthened its assessment of the U.S. economy, noting it is expanding at a solid pace and generating strong job growth. Investors were also keeping an eye on corporate earnings around the world. Oil company Shell saw its shares drop after it warned it would cut spending to cope with the fall in oil prices. Telecoms company Nokia and Germany's Deutsche Bank reported a rise in earnings. In the U.S., the focus will turn to reports from Google, Ford and Amazon, among others. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 1.1 percent to 17,606.22 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.1 percent to 24,595.85. The Shanghai Composite shed 1.3 percent to 3,262.30. South Korea's Kospi was 0.5 percent lower at 1,951.02. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.3 percent to 5,569.50. Markets in Southeast Asia were mostly lower.
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.