Global Shares Mostly Rise Wednesday    08/26 04:49

   Global shares mostly rose Wednesday as investors kept an eye on talks over 
reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely closed because of the war 
in Iran.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares mostly rose Wednesday as investors kept an eye 
on talks over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely closed 
because of the war in Iran.

   The global interest in artificial intelligence supported buying of tech 
shares, but markets have generally moved in a narrow range ahead of Nvidia's 
release of its earnings report later in the day. The chipmaking giant's results 
could have a big impact on confidence in the sustainability of the boom in AI 
investments.

   Falling crude prices also brightened investor sentiment in oil-importing 
nations like Japan, which imports virtually all its oil.

   France's CAC 40 gained 0.5% in early trading to 8,478.57, while the German 
DAX was little changed at 26,257.35. Britain's FTSE 100 inched up less than 
0.1% to 10,881.69. The future for the S&P 500 was nearly unchanged, while that 
for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.

   In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to 66,262.16 and South 
Korea's Kospi jumped nearly 1.0% to 6,808.21.

   In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gained 0.6% to 25,652.97, while the Shanghai 
Composite picked up 0.6% to 3,912.52.

   Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.4% to 9,127.80.

   Brent crude oil, the international standard, lost 2.8% to $84.81 a barrel. 
Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 3.1% to $79.80 a barrel.

   Brent's price zigzagged between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and 
fell that the United States and Iran could reach a deal and further de-escalate 
the war. But tensions between the United States and Iran appeared to ratchet 
higher after the Trump administration announced new sanctions this week aimed 
at inflicting more pain on Iran's economy.

   Top diplomats of Iran and Oman met on Tuesday to discuss a phased approach 
to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The talks followed an 
attack off Oman's coast that disabled an oil tanker, underscoring dangers for 
shipping companies attempting to use the waterway while it's under Iranian 
control.

   A delegation from Pakistan also held talks with Iran's president on reviving 
negotiations to end the Iran-U.S. conflict, the Pakistani military said. 
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said a meeting with Iranian President 
Masoud Pezeshkian had been "very positive and productive."

   In currency trading, the U.S. dollar slipped to 158.96 Japanese yen from 
159.20 yen. The euro cost $1.1678, up from $1.1675.