Asian and European Stocks Mostly Down as Investors Cautious; US Futures Also Lower
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Asian markets including Japan's Nikkei, Australia's S&P/ASX 200, China's Shanghai Composite, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined on Thursday.
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Japan reported a higher-than-expected trade surplus for September. Australia's unemployment rate dropped more than forecast.
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Major European indices like the STOXX 600, Germany's DAX, France's CAC, and UK's FTSE were trading lower early Thursday.
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Commodity prices were mixed with oil and gold lower while copper was up.
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US stock index futures were slightly lower ahead of the open after declines on Wall Street Wednesday. The US dollar index edged up.
![](https://cdn.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2023/10/19/asia_stocks-_photo_by_markus_spiske_on_unsplash.jpg?width=1200&height=800&fit=crop)