BANGKOK (AP) — European shares fell after a mixed session in Asia on Monday at the outset of a week likely to be focused on an earnings report by chip maker Nvidia.
The future for the S&P 500 rose 0.5% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.
Germany's DAX fell 0.4% to 23,783.15, while the CAC 40 in Paris slipped 0.3% to 8,147.12. Britain's FTSE 100 edged 0.1% lower to 9,687.58.
In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.1%
to 50,323.91 after the government reported that the Japanese economy contracted at a 1.8% annual pace in the July-September quarter.
The dollar rose against the Japanese yen, climbing to 154.75 yen from 154.58 yen.
Chinese markets also slipped, as Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.7% to 26,384.28. The Shanghai Composite index declined 0.5% to 3,972.03.
Geopolitical tensions have dimmed investor sentiment in East Asia, as relations between China and Japan have deteriorated due to a spat following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's suggestion that a Chinese move against self-governing Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response.
China objects to other countries' involvement in Taiwan, which Beijing claims it as its own and destined to come under its control. The Chinese government has warned its citizens not to travel to Japan or study there.
“China’s escalation against Japan over Prime Minister Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks has moved from a diplomatic irritant to a consequential macro input, with markets now forced to reprice Asia’s near-term risk curve,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.
In South Korea, the Kospi gained 1.9% to 4,089.25 on buying of tech-related shares. Computer chip makers have rallied after they formed plans with industry leader Nvidia to cooperate in developing artificial intelligence, with SK Hynix surging 8.2% on Monday and Samsung Electronics up 3.5%.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was nearly unchanged at 8,636.40.
In Taiwan, the Taiex picked up 0.2%, while India's Sensex gained 0.5%.
On Friday, the S&P 500 meandered as Nvidia, bitcoin, gold and other high flyers swung sharply before calming. It ended down less than 0.1% at 6,734.11. The Dow fell 0.7% to 47,147.48, while the Nasdaq composite index inched up 0.1% to 22,900.59.
Friday's mixed outcome followed one of Wall Street's worst drops since a sell-off in the spring.
Critics have been warning that the U.S. stock market could be primed for a drop because of how high prices have shot since April, leaving them looking too expensive.
Even with recent sharp swings for the S&P 500, the index that dictates the movements for many 401(k) accounts remains within 2.3% of its record set late last month.
One way companies can tamp down criticism about too-high stock prices is to deliver solid growth in profits. That’s raising the stakes for Nvidia’s profit report Wednesday, when it will say how much it earned during the summer.
In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 5 cents to $60.04 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 8 cents to $64.31 per barrel.
The euro fell to $1.1601 from $1.1605.
