Global stocks mostly higher despite tensions in South Korea

Global stocks were mostly higher on Tuesday, but there was a muted start on Wall Street with values hovering near Monday’s record closing highs as brewing geopolitical turmoil helped dampen investor risk appetite.
Euronext Dublin was up almost 1 per cent, with mostly green across the board as home builders and banks all climbed.
Among the biggest hitters on the index, insulation specialist Kingspan was one of the standout performers as it climbed 1.4 per cent.
In the tourism and hospitality sector, budget airline Ryanair and Dalata Group — the biggest hotel operator in the State — were each up 1.3 per cent by the end of trading.
In the financials, AIB and Bank of Ireland were both up 1.7 per cent, while PTSB climbed 2.4 per cent.
It was a good day also for builders with Cairn Homes and Glenveagh Properties each up 0.5 per cent
On the downside, Kerry Group slipped 0.1 per cent, but it was an outlier across the index more generally.
Miners and energy giants helped lift London’s FTSE 100 as oil prices rallied, amid renewed supply concerns following political instability coming from South Korea.
The UK’s top stock market index climbed 0.56 per cent, with Centrica, Fresnillo and Antofagasta among the biggest risers of the day.
Shares in Marston’s jumped 8 per cent after the pub group revealed it had rebounded to profit and slashed its debt pile after selling off its remaining brewing business.
Closer to home, Dalton Philips-led sandwich giant Greencore added close to 12 per cent after a bullish financial update.
It was also a good day for On The Beach which saw its share price soar by a fifth after announcing it had resumed dividend payouts as part of a wider move to boost investor returns. It reinstated its final dividend for the first time since Covid, following a rebound in demand for package holidays.
Germany’s Dax closed 0.42 per cent higher, rising above 20,000 points for the first time as European stocks advanced for a fourth straight session, with investors looking past political risks in France.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 Index rose 0.4 per cent by the close, marking its longest daily winning streak since August. France’s Cac 40 Index advanced 0.3 per cent.
Construction and retail stocks outperformed, while defensive sectors such as telecoms, property and food and beverages were the laggards. Among individual stocks, chipmaker ASML Holding advanced after reaffirming its net sales forecast for 2025.
Wall Street’s main indices were subdued in volatile trading after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq notched record high levels in the previous session, with focus on a crucial jobs report later this week and commentary from Federal Reserve officials.
At 11.36am eastern time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.37 per cent; the S&P 500 lost 0.11 per cent; and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.12 per cent, briefly hitting an all-time high. Seven of the 11 big S&P sub-sectors were trading lower, with industrials’ 0.9 per cent fall leading losses.
US-listed shares of South Korean companies lost ground with iShares MSCI South Korea ETF down 3 per cent, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country.
Tesla slipped 1.5 per cent after data showed the carmaker’s sales of China-made electric vehicles fell 4.3 per cent year-on-year to 78,856 in November. — Additional reporting: Agencies