NEW YORK: Global share markets edged lower globally on Thursday as concerns about investments in China and a mixed day on Wall Street outweighed positive economic data in the United States. International investors who have been piling into China in recent years are now bracing for one of its great falls as the troubles of over-indebted property giant China Evergrande come to a head. However, the U.S. labor market remains under pressure, with initial jobless claims rising by slightly more than expected last week. The MSCI world equity index was last down by 0.25%, off an all-time high on Sept. 7. Markets remain focused on next week's Federal Reserve meeting for clues as to when the U.S. central bank will start to taper stimulus, especially after the flurry of U.S. economic data out this week.
