IN BRIEF : World Markets

New York: In active trading shares moved lower, with weak bond prices again taking their toll. By early afternoon the Dow Jones Average was down 5.04 points at 3,852.27.

Paris: The CAC 40 index finished at 1,871.53 points, down 1.59 per cent and its lowest since October.

Frankfurt: The DAX index closed 9.78 points lower at 2,062.48.

Tokyo: An absence of foreign interest left the Nikkei 225 adrift by 67.93 at 19,616.11.

Hong Kong: Bargain-hunting lifted the Hang Seng index 31.37 to 7,918.38.

Sydney: Weak metal prices hit shares again, depressing the All Ordinaries index by 16.7 at 1,869.5.

Johannesburg: Shares fell for the third day running after bullion struggled around $375 an ounce, the overall index slipping 26.8 points to 5,751.7.

London: Report, page 34.