World Shares are Mixed Friday          11/28 04:50

   

   MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- World shares were mixed Friday in 
holiday-thinned trading as tech stocks slipped as a recent rebound driven by 
hopes for an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve lost steam.

   In early European trading, Germany's DAX shed nearly 0.2% to 23,730.81 as 
traders awaited inflation data set to be released later in the day.

   Britain's FTSE 100 edged up 0.2% to 9,708.36 on gains in energy and mining 
stocks.

   The CAC 40 in France was nearly unchanged at 8,100.87, despite government 
data showing France's economy grew 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in July-September, 
up from 0.3% in the previous quarter.

   While developments related to artificial intelligence have been driving 
recent ups and downs in world markets, the focus remains on the outlook for 
U.S. monetary policy. Recent comments by Fed officials have helped revive hopes 
the central bank will act during its meeting next month.

   "Everyone is sprinting toward the same conclusion: the Fed will deliver 
holiday cheer," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

   In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 closed 0.2% higher to 50,253.91, rebounding from 
losses earlier in the day. Data showed Japan's housing starts rose 3.2% in 
October from the same period a year ago, the first annual increase since March. 
The number defied market expectations of 5.2% decline and reversed a 7.3% drop 
in September.

   Government data also showed Tokyo's year-on-year core inflation in November 
remained at 2.8%, unchanged from October and above the Bank of Japan's 2% 
target. That reinforces expectations of a gradual shift by the central bank to 
higher interest rates, although a rate hike is not expected at the Bank of 
Japan's December meeting.

   South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.5% to 3,926.59 after the country's industrial 
production fell 4% month-on-month in October, more than the 1.1% decline in 
September. Semiconductor production plunged 26.5% month-on-month, pushing down 
tech stocks like LG Energy Solutions, SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics.

   In Chinese markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.3% to 25,858.89. The 
Shanghai Composite index edged up 0.3% to 3,888.60.

   Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index fell less than 0.1% to 8,614.10, while 
Taiwan's Taiex rose 0.3%. India's BSE Sensex was unchanged.

   On Wednesday, before the trading holiday in the U.S., stocks closed broadly 
higher on Wall Street. The S&P 500 gaining 0.7% and the Dow up 0.7%. The Nasdaq 
composite added 0.8%.

   Early Friday, the futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial 
Average were up 0.1%.

   Brent crude, the international standard for pricing, was up 15 cents at 
$63.02 per barrel.

   The U.S. dollar rose to 156.34 Japanese yen from 156.31 yen. The euro fell 
to $1.1567 from $1.1596.