Share prices drifted Thursday but expectations for new stimulus in China and Europe helped to limit losses, AP reported. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent to 6,715.43 and France's CAC 40 was down 0.2 percent at 4,373.42. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 9,938.64. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving. Chinese investors appeared to shrug off data showing weaker industrial profits. Interest rate cuts Friday by the Chinese central bank raised hopes Beijing will do more to prevent growth from dropping below 7 percent. South Korea's Kospi added 0.1 percent to 1,982.09 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent to 5,400.90. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.8 percent to 17,248.50. China's Shanghai Composite gained 1 percent to 2,630.49. Markets in Southeast Asia were mostly higher. Oil prices slid further ahead of OPEC's Thursday meeting. Benchmark crude was down 64 cents to $73.05 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The dollar edged lower to 117.37 yen from 117.63 yen late Wednesday. The euro slipped to $1.2490 from $1.2507.
