World shares hover near record highs as geopolitics simmer.

Global stock indexes stayed close to record highs while the dollar held near a six-week high and geopolitical tensions remained a focus.

Global stock indexes remained near record highs on Friday as traders weighed simmering geopolitical tensions and recent U.S. economic data. The dollar held close to a six-week high, while safe-haven gold eased and oil prices recovered after an earlier retreat. Markets were influenced by comments from U.S. and Japanese officials and corporate results in Asia. The article mentions strong results from Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC and a U.S.-Taiwan trade deal affecting semiconductor exports. Key points: - Global shares hovered near record peaks; the pan-European Stoxx 600 was flat and France’s CAC 40 underperformed after the French government postponed 2026 budget talks. - The article reports U.S. President Donald Trump adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward Iran after earlier threats, a shift that helped ease some immediate supply-risk concerns in oil markets. - The article mentions TSMC’s strong results, which lifted tech indexes in Taiwan and South Korea and revived interest in AI-linked stocks. - Currency moves included the dollar near a six-week high and the yen rising after Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Tokyo would not rule out options, including coordinated intervention, to counter excessive foreign exchange volatility. Summary: Markets remained broadly steady but cautious, with geopolitical developments and official comments influencing sentiment ahead of the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Undetermined at this time.