TOKYO—Global shares were mostly higher Thursday ahead of the release of data that are expected to show the world’s biggest economy slowing in the first quarter of the year.
Shares rose in Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai but fell in London and Sydney. U.S. futures and oil prices were higher.
The U.S. economy stood firm last year but is expected to weaken and slip into a recession in coming months. Worries over the impact of higher interest rates aimed at vanquishing high inflation are detracting from relatively strong earnings reports for many companies.
However there are signs of resilience in the world economy: The German government doubled its growth forecast this year for Europe’s largest economy after the country made it through the winter without major energy problems….