Global stocks pause as AI worries simmer

European shares dipped while S&P 500 futures inched higher as markets awaited U.S. jobs data; the yen rose after Japan's election outcome and the dollar eased.

European and U.S. premarket trading showed a cautious tone as investors weighed potential disruption from artificial intelligence and awaited U.S. jobs data. European benchmarks were modestly lower while futures for major U.S. indices were slightly higher. Currency moves followed Japan's election outcome, with the yen strengthening and the dollar softening. Overall benchmark indices remain near recent highs despite targeted concerns in some sectors. Key market moves: - Europe's STOXX 600 was down about 0.28%, with the article mentioning a fall in French software maker Dassault Systemes amid AI-related concerns. - Futures on the U.S. S&P 500 and Nasdaq were modestly higher, rising around 0.17% and 0.14% respectively. - U.S. nonfarm payrolls were expected to show an increase of about 70,000 for the prior month, with the report delayed by a government shutdown; economists expected the unemployment rate near 4.4% and noted a benchmark payrolls revision could reduce last year's job counts by roughly 750,000–900,000. - The yen rose to about 153.13 per dollar after Japan's election result and was roughly 2.5% stronger on the dollar since that outcome, while the U.S. dollar index was near a two-week low. Summary: Markets were cautious but broadly steady, with selective sector pressure from AI-related concerns while major indices held close to record levels. Attention is on the U.S. jobs report due at 8:30 a.m. ET, which will be a key near-term data point for investors; the immediate market reaction and longer-term implications are undetermined at this time.