TOKYO (AP) \u2014 Global shares were trading mixed on Monday, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul leading gains thanks to buying of computer chipmakers’ stocks. <\/p>\n
France’s CAC 40 was little changed, inching up less than 0.1% in early trading to 8,282.06. The German DAX shed 0.2% to 25,993.23. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 0.2% to 10,814.01. <\/p>\n
U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 0.3% to 53,273.00. S&P 500 futures were little changed at 7,721.75. <\/p>\n
In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 2.1% to finish at 66,399.84, while South Korea’s Kospi jumped 4.6% to 6,995.39. <\/p>\n
Shares in Samsung Electronics soared 5.7% and memory chipmaker SK Hynix surged 8.1%. Renesas Electronics Corp. added 3.1%, Rohm Co. rose 7.8% and Tokyo Electron edged up 4.7%. <\/p>\n
“The AI complex continues to provide the local equity markets with its most dependable growth pulse,” said Stephen Innes, a former trader, about the Asian markets. <\/p>\n
“The AI complex is firmly in the leadership seat and reminding investors that, for all the hand-wringing around valuation, the hardware trade is still refusing to roll over.” <\/p>\n
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.9% to 25,413.12, while the Shanghai Composite gained less than 0.1% to 3,932.70. <\/p>\n
Australia’s S&P\/ASX 200 rose less than 0.1% to 9,010.90. <\/p>\n
In energy markets, Brent crude, the international standard, added 4 cents to $96.32 a barrel following further escalation of the six-month<\/a> -long U.S. war with Iran. <\/p>\n The U.S. military denied that Iran<\/a> struck an uncrewed American military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, which remains effectively closed<\/a>, calling the claim a “total lie.” <\/p>\n