Global Benchmarks Mostly Decline Wed.  12/10 04:46

   Global shares were mostly lower, trading in a narrow range ahead of a 
Federal Reserve meeting later Wednesday that's expected to result in the third 
cut to interest rates this year.

   TOKYO (AP) -- Global shares were mostly lower, trading in a narrow range 
ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting later Wednesday that's expected to result in 
the third cut to interest rates this year.

   France's CAC 40 slipped 0.3% in early trading to 8,026.35, while the German 
DAX dipped 0.3% to 24,081.63. Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.1% to 9,652.21.

   The future for the S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher and that for the Dow Jones 
Industrial Average was little changed.

   In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 0.1% to finish at 
50,602.80. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped nearly 0.1% to 8,579.40. South 
Korea's Kospi declined 0.2% to 4,135.00. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.4% to 
25,540.78, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.2% to 3,900.50.

   Taiwan's Taiex surged 0.8%.

   Lower interest rates can boost the economy and prices for investments, 
though they can worsen inflation. The U.S. stock market has run to the edge of 
its records in part because of the assumption the Fed will cut rates again.

   Apart from a likely rate cut, investors are waiting to see what the Fed will 
say about where interest rates will go after that. Inflation has remained above 
the Fed's 2% target, and Fed officials are split in their opinions about 
whether high inflation or the slowing job market is the bigger threat to the 
economy.

   In other dealings early Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude rose 11 cents to 
$58.36 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 16 cents to 
$62.10 a barrel.

   In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 156.82 Japanese yen from 156.89 
yen. The euro cost $1.1644, up from $1.1626.