US Futures Slip, World Shares Mixed    01/23 04:50

   European shares were mixed after Asian markets advanced Friday as calm was 
restored after a tumultuous week.

   (AP)) -- European shares were mixed after Asian markets advanced Friday as 
calm was restored after a tumultuous week.

   U.S. futures turned lower, with the contracts for the S&P 500 and the Dow 
industrials down 0.1%.

   Germany's DAX was little changed at 24,852.07, while the CAC 40 in Paris 
lost 0.2% to 8,129.68. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher.

   In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 picked up 0.3% to 53,846.87 after the 
Bank of Japan kept its key interest rate unchanged, as expected. The central 
bank just raised the policy rate to 0.75% in December. Wrapping up its policy 
meeting, it also slightly upgraded its estimates for future inflation and 
economic growth.

   The Japanese yen rose against the U.S. dollar, which was trading at 158.15 
yen, up from 158.42 yen.

   "With underlying inflation price pressures remaining firm, we expect the 
Bank of Japan to resume its tightening cycle in the coming months," Abhijit 
Surya of Capital Economics said in a commentary.

   Chinese markets also saw moderate gains. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 
0.5% to 26,749.51, while the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.3%, at 4,136.16.

   South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.8% to 4,990.07. The benchmark had topped 5,000 
for the first time on Thursday but fell back later in the day.

   In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 8,860.10.

   Taiwan's Taiex jumped 0.7% and the Sensex in India fell 0.9%.

   On Thursday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.5%, extending its rally after U.S. 
President Donald Trump called off tariffs on European countries that he said 
opposed his calls for U.S. control of Greenland.

   The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq composite gained 
0.9% to 23,436.02.

   Details were sparse about a deal on Greenland that Trump said he reached 
with the head of NATO, leaving investors wary of what's to come. It's not 
signed yet.

   It was the latest example of Trump making a big, initial threat, only to 
pull back after a dramatic reaction in financial markets. The pattern has led 
to the "TACO" acronym, suggesting that "Trump Always Chickens Out" if markets 
react strongly enough. Tuesday's drop for the U.S. stock market was the worst 
since October and large enough that Trump, who often takes credit when Wall 
Street is doing well, acknowledged "the dip."

   JPMorgan Chase rose 0.5% after a lawsuit filed by Trump against the bank 
caused minor ripples for its stock. Trump accused JPMorgan Chase of closing his 
accounts for political reasons after he left office in 2021.

   Treasury yields held relatively steady, suggesting foreign investors weren't 
rushing out of the U.S. bond market.

   Yields got some support from reports on the U.S. economy's strength that 
came in better than expected. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for 
unemployment benefits last week than economists expected in a potential signal 
that the pace of layoffs remains low. A second suggested the U.S. economy grew 
at a faster rate during the summer than the government initially estimated.

   A third said that inflation in November was close to economists' 
expectations, while spending by U.S. consumers was a touch better than expected.

   Global markets have calmed following an easing of long-term Japanese 
government bonds, which had spiked early in the week on worries that Japan's 
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi might make moves that would add heavily to the 
government's already big debt.

   The 40-year Japanese government bond yield slipped back after hitting a 
record of more than 4%. It was trading at 3.947% early Friday.

   In other dealings early Friday, the price of gold rose 0.1%, remaining close 
to the $5,000 level. Silver gained 1.6%. Prices of such precious metals often 
rise when investors are looking for something safer to own in times of 
uncertainty.

   U.S. benchmark crude oil added 69 cents to $60.05 per barrel, while Brent 
crude, the international standard, was up 71 cents at $64.77 per barrel.

   The euro slipped to $1.1741 from $1.1755.