- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- EU questions shopping app Temu over illegal products risk
- Han Kang's books sell out in South Korea after Nobel win
- Shanghai markets sink ahead of briefing on mixed day for Asia
- Investors, analysts eye bigger China stimulus at Saturday briefing
- Musk unveils robotaxi, pledges it 'before 2027'
- At least 11 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Asian markets mixed after Wall St drop, Shanghai dips before briefing
- Automaker Stellantis says CEO will retire in 2026
- Musk's promised robotaxi unveil delayed
- On US coast, wind power foes embrace 'Save the Whales' argument
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Delta eyes Election Day travel pullback as profits climb
- Florida battered by hurricane, floods but spared 'worst-case scenario'
- UK's William and Kate in first joint public engagement since cancer treatment
- Over 200 women in legal talks with Harrods over Fayed abuse claims
- A very stiff breeze: BBC says sorry for 20,000 kph wind forecast
- Musk finally unveiling his long-promised robotaxi
- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
- Asian markets track Wall St record as Hong Kong, Shanghai stabilise
- 'Denying my potential': women at Japan's top university call out gender imbalance
Stocks waver after ECB rate hike
Stock markets wobbled on Thursday after the ECB went ahead with a big interest rate hike despite fears of a banking crisis.
Earlier gains in European shares on relief that troubled banking giant Credit Suisse had secured a financial lifeline quickly evaporated after the announcement.
Analysts had seen a strong likelihood that the European Central Bank would reduce the amount of its rate hike, or even pause it over fears about the health of Credit Suisse and the wider banking system following the implosions of two US lenders.
But the central bank raised its main rates by half a percentage point, as it had previously pledged to do.
It did however drop a reference, used in previous statements, to the need to raise rates "significantly" going forward.
The Frankfurt-based central bank also increased its growth forecast for 2023, to 1.0 percent, while lowering the inflation forecast to 5.3 percent for this year.
European shares soon rebounded after the announcement, with Frankfurt up 0.2 percent and Paris climbing 0.5 percent as trading got under way on Wall Street. London edged up 0.1 percent.
The euro, which advanced against the dollar ahead of the ECB's rate decision, quickly lost those gains.
The ECB call is the first by a major central bank since markets were rocked by banking crisis fears, testing the eurozone institution's resolve to implement another hefty rate hike.
There is also much debate over whether the US central bank will continue with its rate tightening campaign.
The collapse of California lender Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has been widely linked to the sharp rise in borrowing costs over the past year.
Some commentators expect US Federal Reserve officials to lift rates once more next week but possibly hold afterwards, while there is a growing belief that it could even announce cuts before the end of the year.
But the ECB's decision will also likely impact the thinking of ECB policymakers, said Naeem Aslam, chief investment officer at Zaye Capital Markets.
"The fact that the ECB has increased the rate by 50 basis points, the chances are now that the Fed is going to do the same as well," he said.
Wall Street opened lower, with the Dow shedding 0.6 percent.
Data out Thursday didn't help ease the difficult choice by Fed policymakers.
Weekly first-time job claims fell back below 200,000 and housing starts climbed 9.8 percent month-on-month in February, while building permit applications jumped by double digits.
But other data showed firms still had downbeat expectations about business in the coming months and import prices edged lower month-on-month in February.
A market rout in its share price has forced Credit Suisse to tap a financial lifeline from the Swiss central bank.
Switzerland's second biggest bank, already battling multiple scandals, sought to stave off the latest crisis by announcing it would borrow up to $53.7 billion from the country's central bank.
Its shares soared more than 30 percent at the open Thursday. They were up 20.7 percent in afternoon trading.
Oil prices fell further after plunging to their lowest levels in 15 months on Wednesday.
- Key figures around 1330 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,353.46 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 14,758.40
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 6,917.81
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.3 percent at 4,046.50
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.6 percent at 31,698.53
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.8 percent at 27,010.61 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.7 percent at 19,203.91 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,226.89 (close)
Euro/dollar: UNCHANGED at $1.0578
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2046 from $1.2055
Euro/pound: UP at 87.78 pence from 87.71 pence
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 132.03 yen from 133.45 yen
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.5 percent at $66.62 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 1.2 percent at $72.78 per barrel
burs-rl/kjm
M.Mendoza--CPN