Japan Financial Markets

European shares have opened lower after an advance in Asia, where South Korea’s benchmark Kospi gained nearly 6%. U.S. futures were mixed after the U.S. Treasury Department said it would at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term government debt. South Korea led the gains, rising 5.9% after sinking 5.8% on Wednesday on renewed selling of shares related to artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks climbed after the Treasury Department announced its plan, which could ease pressure coming from the bond market. Buying bonds would increase their prices, which would help bring down yields. The benchmark S&P 500 climbed 0.2% and the Dow industrials added 0.2%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.