World Stocks Mixed on Worries Over Trade, Manufacturing Data

Global shares were mixed on Tuesday as trade concerns and reports that manufacturing was slowing in China and the Eurozone weighed on sentiment. Wall Street was poised to open higher as traders returned from summer holidays and a Labor Day break.

In Europe, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.4 percent to 5,394.99 and Germany’s DAX shed 0.2 percent to 12,318.85. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.1 percent at 7,500.78. U.S. indexes were set for a positive open. Dow futures added 0.1 percent to 26,022.00. The broader S&P 500 futures rose 0.2 percent to 2,907.00.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.1 percent to 22,696.90, while the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4 percent to 2,315.72. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.9 percent to 27,973.34. The Shanghai Composite index jumped 1.1 percent to 2,750.58. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.3 percent to 6,293.10 after the Reserve Bank of Australia maintained its economic outlook and kept its benchmark interest rate at a record-low 1.5 percent. Shares rose in Taiwan but Southeast Asian indexes were mixed.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump warned that Canada “will be out” of a revised North American trade agreement unless it’s fair to the United States. Talks to keep Canada in the trade bloc are to resume Wednesday as Washington and Ottawa try to break a deadlock over issues such as Canada’s dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition. The two countries will continue to engage in trade talks, despite missing a deadline set by the Trump administration. A U.S.-Mexico deal sealed last Monday excluded Canada.

A private survey showed manufacturing activity in China slowed to a 14-month low in August. The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which measures growth in the sector, came in at 50.6, slightly lower than 50.8 in July. The index is on a 100-point scale, with 50 separating contraction from growth. Separately, manufacturing in the 19-country eurozone softened after hitting a two-month high. IHS Markit’s eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers’ index was 54.6 in August, down from 55.1 in July.

Benchmark U.S. crude added 91 cents to $70.71 a barrel on Tuesday. It had lost 0.6 percent to settle at $69.80 a barrel in New York. Brent Crude, used to price international oils, gained 61 cents to $78.76 a barrel.

The dollar rose to 111.45 yen from 111.08 yen. The euro fell to $1.1568 from $1.1619.