Global Shares Trade Mixed Wednesday    01/07 04:48

   Global shares traded mixed Wednesday, calming somewhat from the buzz set off 
by recent record rallies on Wall Street, while investors' attention turned to 
global interest rates and uncertainty caused by developments in Venezuela.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares traded mixed Wednesday, calming somewhat from 
the buzz set off by recent record rallies on Wall Street, while investors' 
attention turned to global interest rates and uncertainty caused by 
developments in Venezuela.

   France's CAC 40 shed 0.3% to 8,213.78 in early trading, while the DAX in 
Germany gained 0.4% to 24,993.97. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.6% to 10,067.95. 
U.S. futures were mixed. The contract for the Dow Jones Industrial Average 
edged up nearly 0.1%. That for the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%.

   Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1.1% to finish at 51,961.98, a day after setting a 
record.

   China's decision late Tuesday to ban exports to Japan of goods that might be 
used for military purposes hit energy

   Relations between Japan and China have worsened after Japan's Prime Minister 
Sanae Takaichi said in early November its military could get involved if China 
were to take action against Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as 
its sovereign territory. Last week, China staged military drills around Taiwan.

   Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi gained 0.6% to 4,551.06.

   In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2% to 8,695.60.

   Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.9% to 26,458.95, while the Shanghai 
Composite added less than 0.1% to 4,085.77.

   "Global uncertainty continues to deepen," Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in 
Singapore said in a commentary, citing the capture of Venezuelan President 
Nicols Maduro by U.S. forces in a weekend raid.

   The rally spurred by buying of technology shares may have run its course, 
analysts said.

   "Tech appetite is weaker in Asia," Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at 
Swissquote, said in a report. "It increasingly feels like good news is no 
longer generating the same euphoria seen over the past three years. The tech 
rally is showing signs of fatigue, supporting rotation trades -- a trend 
further reinforced by geopolitical headlines."

   On Tuesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, setting a record on just the third 
trading day of the year. The Dow added 1% and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6%.

   This week will bring reports on the U.S. jobs market, including updates on 
job openings and overall employment.

   The U.S. Federal Reserve will be analyzing such data for its next meeting in 
late January. The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate three times late 
in 2025. Wall Street expects the Fed to hold interest rates steady at its 
January meeting.

   In other trading early Wednesday, the price of benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 
65 cents to $56.48 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international 
standard, fell 47 cents to $60.23 per barrel.

   In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 156.55 Japanese yen from 156.68 
yen. The euro cost $1.1684, down from $1.1689.

   The price of gold fell 0.5%, while silver gave up 2.3%.