The China Mail - US film studio shares slip on Trump tariff threat

Meanwhile oil prices slumped after OPEC+ countries announced an output hike despite oversupply concerns and growing fears that Trump's trade war could weaken demand.

Globally, stock markets were mixed in holiday-thinned trading ahead of central bank decisions on interest rates later in the week.

On Wall Street, the Dow edged higher in midday trading but the S&P 500 was down, putting a nine-day winning streak in peril.

US stocks are coming off two strong weeks, with gains last Friday driven by strong jobs data and improving sentiment about US-China trade talks.

Shares in Berkshire Hathaway fell around five percent after influential billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Saturday that he would retire from leading the firm he built into a conglomerate worth more than $1 trillion.

Shares in entertainment firms slid after Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States, claiming Hollywood was being "devastated" by a trend of US filmmakers and studios working abroad.

Shares in Lionsgate studios dropped more than five percent, while Netflix, whose foreign productions for its subsidiaries have often become popular globally, saw its shares fall around two percent.

Shares in Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery were also lower in midday trading.

In Europe, Paris ended lower while Frankfurt climbed as Germany's conservatives and centre-left Social Democrats reached a coalition deal for governing.

London was closed for a public holiday, as were Tokyo and Hong Kong in Asia.

Investors are waiting for interest rate decisions this week, with the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England holding policy meetings on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

"Our US economists expect the Fed to keep rates steady and avoid explicit forward guidance about the policy path ahead," Deutsche Bank analysts said.

The dollar fell against other major currencies.

- Brent below $60 per barrel -

Meanwhile oil prices fell sharply after Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other members of the OPEC+ oil cartel announced an output increase of 411,000 barrels a day for June, a month after a similar move had already caused prices to fall.

Crude prices fell almost four percent before paring back some losses, with the Brent international benchmark falling below $60 per barrel for the first time since 2020.

The price of crude has also been sliding because of fears of a global economic slowdown on the back of Trump's tariff onslaught.

Analysts were still trying to pinpoint the oil cartel's motivation.

"The weekend news wasn't a shocker but the reasons behind the move remain uncertain," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

"The official communication says the group is bringing barrels back to the market because 'fundamentals are healthy and inventories are low'," Ozkardeskaya said.

"Yet global growth expectations have been crumbling due to a heated trade war between the US and the rest of the world, and rising output only worsens oversupply concerns. So the real reason must be something else," she added.

She said some argued that the Saudis were "punishing" OPEC members who had not complied fully with the previous policy of cutting production.

Other theories include that Trump has pressed for lower oil prices to hurt Russian finances and speed up the end of the Ukraine war, or that Riyadh wants to push out US shale businesses and increase its market share.

"We don't know for sure. The exact motive remains unclear," Ozkardeskaya said.

- Key figures at around 1530 GMT -

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.0 percent at $56.53 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.0 percent at $59.61 per barrel

New York - Dow: UP less than 0.1 percent at 41,354.62 points

New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 5,667.67

New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 17,889.91

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.6 percent at 7,727.93 (close)

Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.1 percent at 23,344.54 (close)

London - FTSE 100: closed for holiday

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: closed for holiday

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: closed for holiday

Shanghai - Composite: closed for holiday

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1332 from $1.1299 on Friday

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3297 from $1.3268

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 143.76 yen from 144.97

Euro/pound: UP at 85.21 pence from 85.14

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