World Stocks Mixed Thursday            04/18 05:34

   

   (AP) -- World shares were mixed on Thursday after sinking technology stocks 
sent Wall Street lower again.

   Germany's DAX slipped 0.1% to 17,756.81 while the CAC 40 in Paris added 0.4% 
to 8,010.04. In London, the FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher, to 7,857.46.

   The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.3% while that for the Dow Jones 
Industrial Average was 0.1% higher.

   Shares were higher across the board in Asian trading.

   Tokyo's Nikkei 225 climbed 0.3% to 38,079.70, and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong 
gained 0.8% to 16,468.07.

   The Shanghai Composite index added 0.1% to 3,074.22.

   South Korea's Kospi led the region's gains, surging 2% to 2,634.70, while in 
Australia, the S&P/ASX 500 rose 0.5% to 7,642.10.

   On Wednesday, the S&P 500 lost 0.6%. It's down 4.4% since setting a record 
late last month.

   The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 
1.1%.

   Tech stocks slumped after ASML, a Dutch company that's a major supplier to 
the semiconductor industry, reported weaker orders for the start of 2024 than 
analysts expected. Its stock trading in the United States slumped 7.1%.

   Nvidia dropped 3.9%, and Broadcom sank 3.5% to serve as the two heaviest 
weights on the S&P 500.

   The weakness for tech overshadowed stronger-than-expected profit reports 
from some big companies, including United Airlines. It soared 17.4% after 
reporting stronger results for the start of the year than analysts expected, 
lifted by strong demand from business fliers.

   Traders are now mostly expecting just one or two cuts to interest rates from 
the Federal Reserve this year, according to data from CME Group. That's down 
from forecasts for six or more at the start of the year.

   With little near-term help expected from an easing of interest rates, 
companies will need to deliver fatter profits to justify their big runs in 
stock price since autumn.

   Travelers slumped 7.4% after the insurer's quarterly results fell short of 
forecasts. It had to contend with more losses from catastrophes.

   J.B. Hunt Transport Services fell 8.1% after reporting weaker revenue and 
results than expected. It was hurt in part by competition in the eastern part 
of the country and by higher wages for workers and other costs.

   On the winning side of Wall Street was Omnicom Group. It rose 1.6% after 
reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The 
marketing and communications company highlighted growth trends in most markets 
around the world, outside the Middle East and Africa.

   The stock of Donald Trump's social media company also continued to swing 
sharply, this time jumping 15.6%. That followed two straight losses of more 
than 14%. Experts say the stock is caught up in frenzied trading driven more by 
public sentiment around the former president than by the business prospects of 
the company.

   In oil trading, U.S. benchmark crude shed 61 cents to $82.08 per barrel. It 
had lost $2.67 on Wednesday.

   Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 58 cents to $86.71 per 
barrel.

   The U.S. dollar rose 154.39 Japanese yen from 154.38 yen. The euro rose to 
$1.0677 from $1.0673.