• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 82.76 points, or 0.33 percent, to end at 24,801.36, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.32 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,726.8 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 24.64 points, or 0.33 percent, to 7,396.65.
The Dow was dragged down partly by manufacturer stocks such as Caterpillar (CAT.N), which fell 1.5 percent, and Boeing (BA.N), which ended 0.5 percent lower.
The S&P 500 ended slightly lower after Wednesday’s volatile session as investors struggled to get a read on U.S. trade policy after President Donald Trump promised hefty import tariffs but then said Mexico and Canada could be exempt.
Worries about a potential trade war had intensified after free trade supporter Gary Cohn resigned from his position as Trump’s top economic advisor late Tuesday.
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• Markets in Asia clawed back some gains on Thursday after sliding in the last session on trade-related fears. Gains in the region came after U.S. stocks closed above session lows on fresh developments related to planned metals tariffs.
• The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.89 percent and the Topix was up 0.73 percent, with all but two of its 33 sub-indexes gaining in the morning.
The Topix Iron & Steel index rose 1 percent as steel producers edged higher. Kobe Steel rose 3.02 percent, Nisshin Steel edged up by 0.07 percent and JFE Holdings traded flat.
• Elsewhere, South Korea's Kospi advanced 0.59 percent, with strength seen in automakers and tech names. Shipbuilders also put in a strong showing, with Samsung Heavy rising 4.86 percent and Hyundai Heavy Industries climbing 5.11 percent.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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