World shares, U.S. futures advance after AI fears drag Wall Street lower
BNN Bloomberg
European shares were higher Friday after a mixed day of trading in Asia, as worries over risks linked to massive investments in artificial intelligence and a potential U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on major benchmarks.
Germany’s DAX rose 0.2 per cent to 25,103.32 and the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.7 per cent at 8,460.35. Britain’s FTSE 100 picked up 0.4 per cent to 10,672.75.
The future for the S&P 500 was up 0.3 per cent while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2 per cent.
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.1 per cent to 56,825.70 as shares in major banks and other financial institutions skidded on worries over the potential impact of weakening private credit companies that have lent to companies exposed to the risk that AI will steal away their businesses.
That includes market heavyweights like Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, which has a partnership with Blue Owl Capital, one such private-credit company. MUFJ’s shares dropped 2.2 per cent in Tokyo after Blue Owl lost 5.9 per cent on Thursday.
Toyota Motor Corp. fell 3.7 per cent and Sony shed 3.2 per cent.
Teck Resources beat fourth-quarter profit expectations on Thursday, helped by a surge in copper prices and production, as the Canadian miner advanced its proposed merger with Anglo American.
Canadian airlines Air Transat and WestJet both recently announced cutbacks on routes to U.S. cities.
Canada home prices fell to a nearly five-year low in January as sales dropped and new listings rose, according to CREA data.
Mark Zuckerberg and opposing lawyers dueled in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, where the Meta CEO answered questions about young people’s use of Instagram, his congressional testimony and internal advice he’s received about being “authentic” and not “robotic.”
The grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has lashed out at The Hershey Co., accusing the candy company of hurting the Reese’s brand by shifting to cheaper ingredients in many products.
Global food and beverage companies from PepsiCo to Coca-Cola are focusing on shorter ingredient lists and smaller pack sizes in 2026 as more people take appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
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Parents can use a Registered Education Savings Plan to pay for their children’s post-secondary education while growing their savings tax deferred as tuition costs continue to rise, a financial advisor says.
YouTube Canada outlines ad-driven growth, subscription expansion and fraud controls as streaming leadership challenges Netflix and traditional TV.
An arbitrator reviewing wages for flight attendants at Air Canada has finalized rates at the airline, bringing an end to the labour dispute that saw travel disrupted for thousands of people last summer.
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Shares in Europe and Asia were higher on Wednesday, with Japan’s benchmark gaining more than one per cent after a quiet finish for U.S. stocks.
A deeper look at the cost of living shows Atlantic Canadians facing higher inflation and steeper grocery bills than much of the country.