World Shares Mixed on Earnings, Tariffs04/30 05:03

   World shares were mixed on Wednesday as strong corporate profits were offset 
by uncertainty over President Donald Trump's trade war.

   (AP) -- World shares were mixed on Wednesday as strong corporate profits 
were offset by uncertainty over President Donald Trump's trade war.

   The Eurozone logged 0.4% growth in the first quarter of the year, stronger 
than in the last quarter of 2024. But the outlook has been dimmed by higher 
tariffs on exports from the 20-nation region using the euro.

   Germany's DAX gained 0.4% to 22,531.16 after the country's center-left 
Social Democrats voted to approve a coalition agreement. The vote's results 
announced Wednesday pave the way to elect Friedrich Merz as the new German 
chancellor.

   In Paris, the CAC 40 also rose 0.4%, to 7,586.37, while Britain's FTSE 100 
was little changed at 8,465.95.

   The future for the S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower while that for the Dow Jones 
Industrial Average was up 0.1%.

   In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.6% to 36,045.38.

   Japanese automakers' shares were mixed even after Trump signed an order 
relaxing some U.S. tariffs on imports of autos and auto parts.

   Shares in Toyota Motor Corp. lost 1.6% while Honda Motor Co. gained 0.4%. 
Nissan Motor Co. lost 0.2%.

   In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 0.5% to 22,119.41, while the Shanghai 
Composite index slipped 0.2% to 3,279.03 as surveys showed export orders to 
Chinese manufacturers declined in April as higher U.S. tariffs on goods from 
China began to take effect.

   South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.3% to 2,556.61, while the S&P/ASX 200 in 
Australia surged 0.7% to 8,126.20.

   On Tuesday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.6% and the Dow industrials added 0.7%. The 
Nasdaq composite rose 0.5%.

   CEOs say they're unsure how long their companies can keep piling up profits 
due to the lack of clarity about Donald Trump's trade war.

   Honeywell International helped lead the market with a gain of 5.4% after 
reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts 
expected. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year.

   Sherwin-Williams rose 4.8% for another one of the market's bigger gains 
after the paint and coatings company likewise reported a better-than-expected 
profit.

   UPS stock swung between losses and gains at the day's start of trading after 
it reported a stronger profit than analysts expected for the first three months 
of 2025. Because it's the world's largest package delivery company, UPS can 
offer a window into how the global economy is doing.

   But UPS also said it wasn't updating its financial forecasts previously 
given for 2025 because of "the current macro-economic uncertainty." It also 
said it expects to cut about 20,000 jobs and close 73 buildings this year. Its 
stock finished 0.4% lower.

   Investors fear Trump's tariffs could bring a recession if left unaltered 
because they could freeze global trade and send prices higher for all kinds of 
products.

   U.S. households are getting much more pessimistic because of tariffs, and a 
report from the Conference Board on Tuesday said their expectations for income, 
business and job market conditions dropped to the lowest level since 2011 and 
are well below the level that usually signals a recession ahead.

   General Motors slipped 0.6% despite reporting a stronger profit for the 
latest quarter than analysts expected. The company rescheduled a conference 
call with investors to discuss its results and forecasts for 2025 to Thursday 
because of "recent reports regarding updates to trade policy."

   Coca-Cola also overcame an early drop to rise 0.8%. The beverage giant 
reported better-than-expected earnings in the first quarter and said the impact 
of tariffs on its business are likely to be "manageable."

   Treasury yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped to 4.17% 
from 4.23% late Monday.

   In other dealings early Wednesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 68 cents to 
$59.74 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, shed 64 cents to 
$62.64 per barrel.

   The U.S. dollar rose to 142.98 Japanese yen from 142.35 yen. The euro fell 
to $1.1371 from $1.1386.