European markets closed higher on Tuesday as investors in the region digested inflation data and corporate earnings releases. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally ended the session up 0.34%, with mining, utilities and construction stocks among the few sectors in negative territory. Major bourses were in mixed territory, with the FTSE 100 down by around 0.09%. Annual inflation in the euro zone rose to 2.4% in December, a flash estimate from Eurostat showed on Tuesday, up from 2.2% in November. The print — which was in line with expectations, according to a Reuters poll of...
U.S. stocks closed down on Tuesday after a batch of upbeat economic data raised concerns that an inflation rebound could slow down the Federal Reserve's pace of monetary policy easing. Stocks gave up early gains after a Labor Department report showed job openings unexpectedly increased in November, while a separate report said services sector activity accelerated in December with a measure tracking input prices surging to a near two-year high. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit an eight-month high at 4.677% after the data pointed to a strong economy. Signs of continued resilience in...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.8% to fall below 39,800, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.7%, settling at 2,767 on Wednesday, reversing gains from the previous session as US Treasury yields surged. Japanese shares also mirrored a tech-driven selloff on Wall Street overnight, fueled by concerns over persistent inflation and reduced expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Investors in Japan are also looking ahead to local wage data this week, which could offer further insights into the Bank of Japan's monetary policy outlook. Notable losses were seen in index...