Global stocks little changed on final trading day of 2017

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – Global stocks were little changed on the final trading day of 2017 Friday but most stock markets are set to finish this year with gains.

KEEPING SCORE: Britain’s FTSE 100 inched up 0.1 per cent to 7,633.85. France’s CAC 40 dipped 0.1 per cent to 5,332.85 and Germany’s DAX lost 0.2 per cent to 12,955.07. Futures augured a lukewarm start on Wall Street. Dow futures added 0.1 per cent while S&P futures also rose 0.1 per cent.

ASIA’S DAY: Most Asian markets finished with modest gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 finished 0.1 per cent lower at 22,764.94. The Tokyo benchmark index rose 19 per cent in 2017. China’s Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 per cent to 3,307.17. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.2 per cent to 29,919.15. But Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 went south. It fell 0.4 per cent to 6,065.10. South Korean stock markets closed on Thursday.

ANALYST’S TAKE: Looking back the year of 2017, “markets have been disturbingly sanguine about risks,” such as North Korean nuclear threats and the U.S. government’s new foreign policy to put American interest first, said Mizuho Bank Ltd. in a daily commentary.

OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 24 cents to $60.07 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 20 cents to settle at $59.84 per barrel on Thursday. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, gained 23 cents to $66.39 per barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar declined to 112.56 yen from 112.88 yen while the euro strengthened to $1.1985 from $1.1945.

BITCOIN: The price of bitcoin dipped 0.6 per cent to $14,341.78 as of 0939 GMT, according to the tracking site CoinDesk.