World shares mixed as AI worries drag Wall Street tech stocks lower

World shares were mixed on Thursday after declines in artificial-intelligence stocks dragged down U.S. markets, as investors awaited new data on inflation and a policy decision from Japan's central bank. Europe’s stock benchmarks edged higher in thin trade, with Germany’s DAX up 0.2% to 24,007.33, France’s CAC 40 rising 0.4% to 8,114.30, and Britain’s FTSE 100 0.3% higher at 9,800.00. U.S. stock futures pointed to a modestly higher open, with the S&P 500 futures up 0.3% and the Dow futures ticking up 0.1%. In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 shed 1% to 49,001.50, led by technology shares. SoftBank Group slumped 4%, while Tokyo Electron fell 3.2% and Advantest declined 3.3%. Honda Motor Corp. dropped 2.2% after reports said production at some plants in Japan and China was being suspended due to chip shortages. South Korea’s Kospi slid 1.5% to 3,994.51, pressured by selling in electronics makers and automakers; LG Electronics dropped 3.1% and Samsung Electronics fell 0.3%. Chinese markets were mixed: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.1% to 25,498.13 and the Shanghai Composite gained 0.2% to 3,876.37. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 was nearly flat at 8,588.20.

Back in the United States, traders awaited the latest inflation report due later on Thursday. Economists expect that report to show prices for U.S. consumers continue to rise, underscoring worries about persistent inflation. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell 1.2%, the Dow dropped 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite slid 1.8%. Oil markets have swung recently as investors weigh supply against demand. U.S. crude rose 1.2% to $55.94 a barrel, after trading at $55.93 earlier in the session. Brent crude added 8 cents to $59.76 a barrel, having climbed 1.3% on Wednesday.

Netflix rose 0.2% after Warner Bros. Discovery’s board said it still favored shareholders approving Netflix’s bid to buy the Warner Bros. business, rather than a broader Paramount Skydance offer for the entire company. Warner Bros. Discovery fell 2.4%, while Paramount Skydance dropped 5.4%. In early Thursday trading, the U.S. dollar strengthened against the yen, rising to 155.92 yen from 155.70, while the euro slipped to $1.1727 from $1.1743.