Tech, Telecom Stocks Lift European Markets

NEW YORK —  Stocks were mixed overseas Thursday as telecommunications and technology sectors pulled markets up in Europe, albeit only slightly.

U.S. markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. They will reopen today, but will close at 10 a.m. PST.

In Japan, the 225-issue Nikkei stock average rose in late trading to finish up 35.764 points, or 0.34%, at 10,696.82, led by gains in technology and bank shares. It rebounded from a nearly 1.2% deficit during the morning.

The Nikkei ended in lackluster trading as investors were reluctant to trade ahead of a three-day weekend in Japan and the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

In Taiwan, shares finished lower as cautious investors sold electronics stocks amid fears that the market’s recent rise may have peaked. The weighted price index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 83.35 points, or 1.8%, to close at 4,450.02.

European stock markets closed higher, pulled up partly by gains in telecommunications and technology stocks.

In London, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply reported that British manufacturing retreated in August for the sixth consecutive month. A bearish report on Britain’s service sector added to traders’ concerns.

Britain’s FTSE-100 index rose 32.10 points, or 0.6%, to 5345.90, while France’s CAC-40 index gained 42.77 points to 4599.80.

Germany’s DAX rose 28.66 points to 5,115.69.

The Dow Jones Stoxx total market index of shares in European companies gained 1.93 points to 284.45. The Dow Jones Euro Stoxx total market index, which tracks companies in countries that joined the single currency, rose 2.64 points at 279.78.

The Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 index added 39.9 points to 3,769.9 and the Dow Jones Stoxx 50 index rose 30.0 points at 3,711.8.

Other international markets were mixed.

In Hong Kong, the blue-chip Hang Seng index rose 79.38 points, or 0.7%, to 11,253.30. On Wednesday, it had lost 51.87 points.

In Sydney, strong gains from diversified mining company WMC were offset by losses in the banking and insurance industries, pushing the All Ordinaries index down 10.10 points, or 0.3%, to 3,262.40.

In South Korea, stocks closed higher in the wake of better-than-expected gross domestic product figures. The Korea composite stock price index rose 9.11 points, or 1.5%, to 624.56.

In New Zealand, stocks closed lower after losses by forest products group Carter Holt Harvey and media group Independent Newspapers thwarted a mid-session advance into positive territory.

The NZSE-40 Capital index was down 3.03 points, or 0.2%, to 2,012.03.