BANGKOK — World shares were mixed on Thursday as the U.S. stock market remained closed to observe a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.
London's FTSE 100 climbed 0.8% to 8,319.69 as the value of the British pound slid against the U.S. dollar amid worries about the United Kingdom's economy and its government's finances. A weaker pound can boost profits for U.K. exporters, which can goose their stock prices.
Germany's DAX lost 0.1% to 20,317.10, and France's CAC 40 added 0.5% to 7,490.28.
In Asia, markets mostly declined as caution revived over a likely deepening of trade friction once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Shares fell in Tokyo after Japan reported strong wage growth for November, data that might help persuade its central bank to raise interest rates. The Nikkei 225 index dropped 0.9% to 39,605.09.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng index edged 0.2% lower, to 19,240.89, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.6% to 3,211.39. The government reported that the consumer price index rose 0.1% in December from a year earlier, while wholesale or producer prices dropped 2.3%, signaling that demand remains slack in the world's second-largest economy.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.2% to 8,329.20.
South Korea's Kospi edged less than 0.1% higher, to 2,521.90 despite strong gains for technology companies and automakers.