- No regrets: Merkel looks back at refugee crisis, Russia ties
- IPL history-maker, 13, who 'came on Earth to play cricket'
- Prosecutors seek up to 12-year terms for French rape trial defendants
- Laos hostel staff detained after backpackers' deaths
- Hong Kong LGBTQ advocate wins posthumous legal victory
- Rod Stewart to play Glastonbury legends slot
- Winter rains pile misery on war-torn Gaza's displaced
- 'Taiwan also has baseball': jubilant fans celebrate historic win
- Russia pummels Ukraine with 'record' drone barrage
- Paul Pogba blackmail trial set to open in Paris
- Landmine victims gather to protest US decision to supply Ukraine
- Indian rival royal factions clash outside palace
- Manga adaptation 'Drops of God' nets International Emmy Award
- Philippine VP denies assassination plot against Marcos
- Hong Kong's legal battles over LGBTQ rights: key dates
- US lawmakers warn Hong Kong becoming financial crime hub
- Compressed natural gas vehicles gain slow momentum in Nigeria
- As Arctic climate warms, even Santa runs short of snow
- Plastic pollution talks: the key sticking points
- Indonesia rejects Apple's $100 million investment offer
- Pakistan police fire tear gas, rubber bullets at pro-Khan supporters
- Hong Kong same-sex couples win housing, inheritance rights
- Indonesia digs out as flooding, landslide death toll hits 20
- Liverpool's old guard thriving despite uncertain futures
- Mbappe takes reins for Real Madrid in Liverpool clash
- As AI gets real, slow and steady wins the race
- China's Huawei to launch 'milestone' smartphone with homegrown OS
- Porzingis and Morant make triumphant NBA returns
- Hong Kong top court affirms housing, inheritance rights for same-sex couples
- Philippines, China clashes trigger money-making disinformation
- Most Asian markets drop, dollar gains as Trump fires tariff warning
- England 'not quivering' ahead of New Zealand Test challenge
- Bethell to bat at three on England Test debut against New Zealand
- Trump vows big tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
- New Zealand and England to play for Crowe-Thorpe Trophy
- Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy up for PGA Player of the Year
- Trump to face less internal pushback in new term: ex-commerce chief
- Extreme weather threatens Canada's hydropower future
- More than 34,000 register as candidates for Mexico judges' election
- Australia ban cycling's Richardson for life after UK defection
- Internal displacement in Africa triples in 15 years: monitor
- 'Remarkable global progress': HIV cases and deaths declining
- Social media firms raise 'serious concerns' over Australian U-16 ban
- Tiger to skip Hero World Challenge after back surgery
- MLB shifts six 2025 Rays games to avoid weather issues
- US women's keeper Naeher retiring after Europe matches
- West Ham stun Newcastle to ease pressure on Lopetegui
- Arteta calls on Arsenal to show 'ruthless' streak on Champions League travels
- Israel bids emotional farewell to rabbi killed in UAE
- Sonar image was rock formation, not Amelia Earhart plane: explorer
Bitcoin hits new highs, markets stall amid US inflation increase
Global equities stalled Wednesday while bitcoin hit a fresh high as traders digested a small rise in inflation and mulled what Donald Trump's presidency might mean for global trade and the adoption of cryptocurrency.
US stocks were little changed on Wednesday, as traders digested data pointing to a small increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation last month.
"The drivers in large part are the fact that the CPI came in very much in line with expectations, and some buzz in the markets yesterday," B. Riley Wealth Management chief market strategist Art Hogan told AFP.
"So that coming in line was very much a positive," he added.
Despite inflation matching expectations, there are lingering concerns that Trump's stated plans for sweeping tariffs could prove to be inflationary, forcing the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by less than they otherwise would.
"If prices are already looking unruly, expectations will rise for Trump's threats to be watered down," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.
For Srijan Katyal, global head of strategy and trading services at ADSS brokerage, "this (inflation data) reading has slightly disrupted the disinflationary pattern we have seen in the last few months but continues to remain stable around the targeted level."
Yet, given Trump's election victory, "inflation worries could return to markets," he said.
- Bitcoin hits fresh record -
As inflation edged up, bitcoin, the world's best-known cryptocurrency, soared to an all-time peak above $93,400 before easing back slightly.
Trump has notably pledged to ease regulation around digital tokens.
With main European indices hardly budging -- Frankfurt and Paris lost a bit of ground and London closed barely ahead -- FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada suggested that "this week's US inflation data may impact Wall Street but will likely have limited implications for European indices."
But, he added, "one factor that is certainly weighing on sentiment on this side of the pond is political uncertainty in Germany," which faces elections in February.
Asian markets had mostly ended lower as Trump named known China hawks to key cabinet positions, fuelling concerns about another debilitating trade war between the economic superpowers.
- Key figures around 2130 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,958.19 points (close)
New York - S&P 500: UP less than 0.1 percent at 5,985.38 (close)
New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 19,230.74 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,030.33 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,216.83 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 19,003.11 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.7 percent at 38,721.66 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 19,823.45 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,439.28 (close)
Dollar/yen: UP at 155.51 yen from 154.59 yen on Tuesday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0564 from $1.0625
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2710 from $1.2748
Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.11 pence from 83.34 pence
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.5 percent at $72.28 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.5 percent at $68.43 per barrel
A.Silveira--PC