Global stocks fall after Brussels blasts
MANILA, Philippines - Global shares were mostly lower Tuesday, with European shares all in the red in early trading after explosions ripped through the departure hall at Brussels airport and a subway station.
Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.9 percent to 6,127.59. France's CAC 40 was down 0.8 percent to 4,391.05. Germany's DAX fell 0.9 percent to 9,859.45.
Wall Street looked set for a weak start, with Dow futures down 0.3 percent while S&P futures fell 0.4 percent.
Explosions rocked the Brussels airport and the subway system Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring many others just days after the main suspect in the November Paris attacks was arrested in the city, police said.
Japanese shares rose as the yen weakened, despite the release of a preliminary survey showing a deteriorating outlook for manufacturing in March. Contrary to expectations of an improvement, the Nikkei "flash" purchasing managers index fell to 49.1 from 50.1 last month. It was the first dip below the 50 level dividing expectations of expansion versus contraction since April 2015.
"Trading is likely to be quiet in the run up to Easter. Markets will be looking at data from Europe and China this week for cues," Alex Furber of CMC Markets said in a client note.
Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.9 percent to 17,048.55. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index shed early gains to shed 0.1 percent at 20,666.75. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.4 percent to 1,996.81 and Australia's S&P ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent at 5,230.80. The Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.6 percent at 2,999.36. Southeast Asian markets were lower.
Benchmark U.S. crude lost 7 cents to $41.45 a barrel in New York. On Monday, it rose 38 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $41.52 a barrel. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, fell 6 cents to $41.48. It gained 34 cents on Monday, closing at $41.54 a barrel in London.
The dollar fell to 111.71 yen from 112.08. The euro fell to $1.1202 from $1.1242.