World shares gain, while oil prices jump as Trump orders a blockade of
oil tankers to Venezuela
[December 17, 2025] By
ELAINE KURTENBACH
BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced Wednesday in Europe and Asia as strong
buying of technology shares helped lift some benchmarks, while the price
of U.S. crude briefly surged more than 2% after President Donald Trump
ordered a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela.
Trump's move followed the seizure by U.S. forces last week of an oil
tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of
military forces in the region as his administration ramps up pressure on
the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.
The future for the S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher and that for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average was virtually unchanged.
In Germany, the DAX added 0.3% to 24,138.73, while the CAC 40 in Paris
was up 0.1% to 8,115.18. Britain's FTSE 100 surged 1.4% to 9,817.65.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 49,512.28 as traders awaited a
decision on an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan later in the
week.
Adding to expectations for a rate hike, Japan reported its exports rose
6% in November from a year earlier, as shipments to the U.S. rose for
the first time since March. A trade deal with the Trump administration
that set tariffs on imports from Japan at a baseline rate of 15%, down
from the initial plan for a 25% helped boost exports of cars and
chemicals, among other key manufactured goods.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.9% to 25,468.78, while the Shanghai
Composite index jumped 1.2% to 3,870.28.
In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 1.4% to 4,056.41, lifted by computer
chip maker SK Hynix, which gained 4%, and a 5% jump for Samsung
Electronics.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.2% to 8,585.20.
On Tuesday, U.S. stocks drifted through a mixed day of trading after
reports on the U.S. economy did little to clear up uncertainty about
where interest rates may be heading.
One report said the U.S. unemployment rate was at its worst level since
2021 in November, but employers also added more jobs last month than
economists expected. A separate report, meanwhile, said an underlying
measure of strength for revenue at U.S. retailers grew more in October
than economists expected.
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A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea
Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing
room of the Hana Bank headquarters, in Seoul, South Korea,
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
 The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, staying a
bit below its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average dipped 0.6% and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.
The varied economic data left intact traders’ hopes that the Federal
Reserve may continue to cut interest rates in 2026. What the Fed
does with interest rates is a top driver for financial markets
because lower rates can boost the economy and prices for
investments, even if they also may worsen inflation.
A report coming on Thursday will show how bad inflation was last
month, and economists expect it to show prices for U.S. consumers
continue to rise faster than anyone would like.
A report released on Tuesday suggested price pressures are rising
sharply, with average selling prices for businesses climbing at one
of the fastest rates since the middle of 2022. The preliminary data
from S&P Global also said growth for overall business activity
slowed to its weakest level since June.
Overhanging the markets are questions about whether all the spending
underway on AI technology will produce the kind of profits and
productivity that will make it worth the expense.
The sharpest losses on Wall Street came from companies in the oil
business as prices for crude skidded. Expectations that companies
are pumping more than enough oil to meet the world’s demand sent the
price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude to its lowest level since
2021.
Early Wednesday, U.S. crude was up 99 cents, or 1.8%, at $56.26 per
barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 96 cents,
or 1.6%, to $59.88 per barrel.
In other dealings early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar rose to 155.48
Japanese yen from 154.73 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1717 from
$1.1748.
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