BANGKOK – World stock markets drifted Monday amid a quiet day of trading due to a U.S. holiday and signs that the global economic recovery has hit a plateau.
Oil prices hovered below $100 a barrel in light trading volume ahead of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. The dollar was down against the euro but up against the yen.
Asian markets were largely inert and European shares posted muted gains in early trading. Germany’s DAX was 0.4 percent higher to 7,190.4 and France’s CAC-40 rose 0.1 percent to 3,955.97.Markets in Britain are closed for a holiday.
While most major economies are expected to keep growing, evidence is mounting that many around the world are struggling to expand as fast as they did last year. European governments are struggling with debts and squeezed budgets. High unemployment, depressed real estate and still-high oil prices are slowing the U.S. economy. In China, interest-rate hikes designed to
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