ALBAWABA – Stocks worldwide were mixed and gold prices slid on Wednesday as markets held out for the United States (US) Federal Reserve’s (Fed) decision later today on whether to pin or hike US interest rates ahead of the new year.
European stocks opened slightly higher, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP), as dealers digested US inflation numbers and news of contraction in monthly United Kingdom (UK) economic output.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.2 percent to 7,554.28 points, as official data showed the UK economy shrank 0.3 percent in October.
In the Eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 index gained 0.1 percent to 7,550.29 points and Frankfurt's DAX also added 0.1 percent to 16,815.46.
Frankfurt held firm after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition reached a last-minute deal to end Germany’s budget crisis.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Tokyo, Sydney and Wellington climbed but Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok fell, as caution prevailed with the US Fed forecast to hold its key lending rate at a 22-year high.
Stocks worldwide mixed, gold prices down - Shutterstock
With a pause deemed extremely likely, attention turns to the language of the Fed decision and accompanying economic forecasts, followed by a statement by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
Meanwhile, in the US, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.48 percent, as reported by Reuters, while the NASDAQ and NYSE composites were both unchanged. Wall Street’s S&P 500 was also up 0.46 percent, by 1608 Amman Time.
Gold prices slipped 0.4 percent to $1,981.93 per ounce, according to GoldPrice.org, while Reuters reported gold prices down 0.14 percent, at $1,975, at 1611 Amman Time.
Stocks worldwide: Markets summary by AFP
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 7,564.25 points
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,564.12
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 16,805.28
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2 percent at 4,545.76
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.3 percent at 32,926.35 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 16,228.75 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 2,968.76 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 0.35 percent at 36,577.94 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0774 from $1.0794 on Tuesday
Dollar/yen: UP at 145.70 yen from 145.45 yen
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2517 from $1.2563
Euro/pound: UP at 86.07 pence from 85.92 pence
