World shares are mixed and US futures fall after a tech-led rally on
Wall St
[June 19, 2026] By
ELAINE KURTENBACH
BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed Friday and U.S. futures declined
as optimism over the U.S.-Iran deal to end their war was dimmed by the
postponement of high-stakes talks on reopening negotiations over Iran’s
nuclear program and getting oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. markets will be closed Friday for Juneteenth.
Planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over
their efforts to reach a permanent end to war were delayed, while
Israel’s military said its forces struck targets throughout southern
Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.
“Both sides are trying to show some good faith,” Bas van Geffen of
RaboResearch said in a commentary. “But even if the water appears
calmer, there is still a strong undertow. The agreement remains fragile
on multiple fronts.”
Still, in early European trading, Germany's DAX rose 0.4% to 25,129.38,
while the CAC 40 in Paris also gained 0.4%, to 8,499.08. Britain's FTSE
100 edged less than 0.1% higher, to 10,406.28.
The future for the S&P500 slipped 0.2% while that for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average was less than 0.1% lower.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 wavered between gains and losses but closed 0.3%
higher at a new record of 71,250.06. The government reported that
consumer prices excluding volatile fresh foods was unchanged, but
analysts said it would likely pick up in coming months despite higher
fuel costs.
Higher inflation was a factor driving the Bank of Japan to raise its
benchmark interest rate earlier this week to a three-decade high of 1%
as it gradually adjusts its policies after years of near-zero or
negative rates.
In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.1% to 9,052.42 and the S&P/ASX 200 in
Australia declined 0.9% to 8,828.70.
India's Sensex lost 0.9%.
Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed for the Dragon
Boat festival.
On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses
from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for
heavyweight technology companies. The decline on Wednesday was driven by
anticipation that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates
this year in an effort to fight inflation.
The S&P 500 rose 1.1% and the Dow industrials added 0.1%. The Nasdaq
composite surged 1.9%.
[to top of second column] |
A TV cameraman films the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock
Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S.
dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul,
South Korea, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
 Technology stocks had some of the
biggest gains and the most influence on the broader market's rise.
Intel surged 10.6% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that
the semiconductor giant will make chips for Apple in the U.S. Other
big semiconductor companies gained ground. Nvidia rose 3% and Micron
Technology jumped 8.7%.
On the losing end, SpaceX fell for the second
straight day since its big debut on the U.S. stock market last week.
The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.6%
following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.
Oil prices wavered after the United States and Iran signed an
agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil
tanker traffic. Brent crude, the international standard, spent most
of the day lower before settling 0.4% higher at $79.85 per barrel.
U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.2% to $75.85 per barrel.
Early Friday, Brent crude was down 0.2% at $79.68 per barrel. U.S.
benchmark crude edged 0.1% higher, to $75.91 per barrel.
Prices for crude oil are still above roughly $70 per barrel from
before the war, but are well below the $100-plus price from a few
weeks ago.
Rising energy costs have been putting more pressure on already hot
inflation. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dipped
below $4 a gallon, but is still 25% higher than a year ago. Prices
have been rising for a wide range of goods because of higher
shipping costs.
The Federal Reserve kept is key interest rate unchanged this week
but hotter inflation means it will likely raise rates by the end of
the year. Lower interest rates make borrowing easier for businesses
and households, spurring growth, but they also tend to stoke
inflation.
In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 161.29
Japanese yen from 161.38 yen. The euro rose to $1.1464 from $1.1458.
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