Global Shares Trade Mixed Wednesday    07/01 04:52

   Global shares were mixed on Wednesday as uncertainty persisted over conflict 
in the Middle East and access to the crucial Strait of Hormuz despite an 
initial deal to end the U.S.-Iran war.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares were mixed on Wednesday as uncertainty persisted 
over conflict in the Middle East and access to the crucial Strait of Hormuz 
despite an initial deal to end the U.S.-Iran war.

   France's CAC 40 declined 0.3% in early trading to 8,379.92, while the German 
DAX added 0.3% to 25,069.53. Britain's FTSE 100 dipped 0.1% to 10,484.53.

   The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3%.

   The U.S. dollar rose to 162.65 Japanese yen from 162.55 yen, hitting a 
40-year high as traders remained wary over risks of an intervention in the 
market by Tokyo.

   The euro cost $1.1403, down from $1.1426.

   Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.6% to finish at 70,474.96. Australia's 
S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.6% to 8,722.90. South Korea's Kospi dropped 2.0% to 
8,303.41. The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.4% to 4,112.45. Trading was closed 
in Hong Kong.

   Crude oil prices drifted as two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar for talks with 
mediators about the implementation of the deal with Iran. The Americans will 
not be having direct negotiations with Iranian diplomats while in Doha.

   "While oil markets are currently priced for a gradual return to supply 
normalization, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has yet to recover to 
pre-war levels," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

   Benchmark U.S. crude lost 70 cents to $68.80 a barrel. Brent crude, the 
international standard, fell 63 cents to $72.32 a barrel.

   On Tuesday, the S&P 500 gained 0.8%, though it still recorded its first 
losing month following two fabulous ones. The Dow added 0.3%, to its record, 
and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5%.