Global shares mostly lower as markets watch Ukraine tensions

By YURI KAGEYAMA
AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) — European benchmarks jumped in early trading amid reports Russian troops may be moving away from the border with Ukraine, although Asian shares were mostly lower. Shares surged in France, Germany and Britain, while benchmarks finished lower in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Hong Kong. Sentiment rose as the Kremlin and the West held out the possibility of a diplomatic path out of the Ukraine crisis. Japan reported its economy grew at an annual rate of 5.4% in the October-December quarter. Restrictions related to the coronavirus were briefly relaxed but infections are now rebounding with omicron outbreaks. Investors are also trying to gauge the impact of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s raising interest rates.