Shares of Asia and Europe fell alongside US share futures after Wall Street Stocks finished barely changed as a measure of volatility fell to its lowest level in more than a year, and investors absorbed mixed corporate earnings from US industries.

In the United States, S&P 500 futures were down 0.3%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.3%. Futures changes do not always forecast moves following the opening bell. The Wall Street Journal Dollar Index rose 0.1% to 95.89 points. Contracts for the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 fell more than 0.6%. After a flat day in New York trade, US equities futures fell. A Bank of America global volatility index, which includes equities, interest rates, currencies, and commodities, has reached its lowest level since early 2022.

Markets were also digesting mixed earnings from the United States. Tesla Inc fell short of earnings projections, while International Business Machines Corp and Morgan Stanley exceeded them.

In Asia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co estimated lower-than-expected revenue for the current quarter, suggesting a sustained downturn in demand for everything from smartphones to server chips. Apple Inc’s leading chipmaker cautioned that demand from the mobile and Desktop sectors would remain “slow” for the time being. A regional index of Asian equities fell slightly.

The Nikkei 225 index in Japan dipped 0.2%, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.2%. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.7% in China.

After the People’s Bank of China’s decision, Chinese banks held lending prime rates constant. An independent study of Australia’s central bank proposed the formation of an expert policy board and fewer press conferences.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 declined 0.3% in morning trading. Worldline rose 5.4%, and THG climbed 3.5%. On the other hand, Tomra Systems slipped 7.2%, and Warehouses de Pauw dropped 4.9%. The FTSE 100 lost 0.4%. Other European stocks were mixed as France’s CAC 40 was flat, and Germany’s DAX fell 0.2%.

The German 10-year Bund yield rose by 4.4 basis points to 2.523% from 2.479%, and the yield on the 10-year US Treasury climbed by 3.1 basis points to 3.608% from 3.578%. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index plummeted the most in over five months, with fears about price pressure outweighing the French carmaker’s first-quarter sales beat. L’Oreal SA rose after reporting robust demand for its cosmetics.

In other markets, Bitcoin fell below $30,000. Oil plummeted, but gold rose, as the precious metal went below $2,000 per ounce on Wednesday. Brent crude fell 0.6% to $84.25 per barrel, while WTI crude rose 0.3% to $81.14 per barrel. The dollar’s strength remained stable, but Treasury rates fell.