Global stocks were mixed today, as crude oil fluctuated
Stocks in Asia settled mostly higher, following Wednesday's
late rally on Wall Street, as crude futures rebounded. China's Shanghai Composite added 1.6% for the day, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1%, and South Korea's Kospi gained 1.4%. However, Japan's Nikkei ended 0.9% lower -- and has nearly erased all of
last week's central bank-induced gains -- as the yen again
strengthened against the dollar, weighing on exports.
European markets are also mixed as traders eye choppy price action in oil. London's FTSE 100 is up 0.8% so far, after the Bank of England voted to leave its key interest rate unchanged. Meanwhile, the European Commission lowered its forecast for 2016 growth in the eurozone to 1.7% from its previous 1.8% prediction, while European Central Bank President Mario Draghi
reiterated his stance that the central bank will "not 'surrender' to low inflation." On the corporate front, financial firm Credit Suisse dropped to a 15-year low after posting its biggest quarterly loss in seven years. At last check, the German DAX is 0.1% lower, while France's CAC 40 is down 0.3%.
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