World markets mixed as Tokyo climbs on tariff news

Global shares drift as Tokyo leads gains after tariff clarification while other major indices waver.

World markets mixed as Tokyo climbs on tariff news

World shares were mixed on Friday, with Asian markets mostly lower while Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 2.2% intraday and finished about 1.9% higher at 41,820.48 as officials clarified questions over tariffs on exports to the United States. In early European trading, Germany's DAX fell 0.3% to 24,131.01, France's CAC 40 rose 0.3% to 7,730.40, and Britain's FTSE 100 hovered near flat at 9,094.65. U.S. stock futures pointed higher, with the S&P 500 futures up 0.3% and the Dow futures up 0.1%.

The gains in Tokyo followed a government statement that tariff questions had been resolved, even as new U.S. duties on Japanese goods began to bite. Toyota Motor Corp. climbed about 3.5% and Honda Motor Co. rose around 4%, underscoring how automakers are exposed to policy shifts on exports. Across Asia, sentiment was mixed: Hong Kong slipped 0.9%, Shanghai was roughly flat, and South Korea’s Kospi fell about 0.6% while Australia’s ASX 200 shed 0.3% and India’s Sensex dropped 0.8%.

The market mood remains delicate. Clarity on tariff policy can spark quick, uneven moves across regions, while traders await central bank signals and corporate earnings to gauge the longer-term impact. The scene shows how financial markets chase policy certainty but are quick to punish it when headlines shift direction. In this environment, patience and diversification look wiser than big bets on any single policy outcome.

Highlights

Policy signals will keep driving the mood in the days ahead