- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- 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
Stock markets mostly rise before crucial Fed rate call
Major stock markets mostly rose Wednesday on soothing worries over the banking sector, according to analysts.
This was helping to offset concerns over stubbornly-high inflation which is expected to see the Federal Reserve again raise US interest rates in a decision due at 1800 GMT.
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday said recent financial turbulence could add to "downside risks" in the eurozone.
She added in a speech that policymakers remained focused on taming sky-high inflation.
Official data Wednesday showed British inflation rising again after recent falls from a four-decade high.
The UK Consumer Prices Index jumped to 10.4 percent in February, increasing the prospect of the Bank of England also raising rates on Thursday.
This in turn lifted the pound against the dollar and euro. The greenback was up versus the yen.
Although Lagarde did not commit to further interest rate hikes for the eurozone, she said policymakers "still have ground to cover to make sure that inflation pressures are stamped out".
Global stock markets are in gradual recovery mode, having plunged last week on the collapse of two regional US banks and the enforced buyout of Credit Suisse by its Swiss rival UBS.
With the crisis blamed on steep hikes in borrowing costs over the past year, pressure is building on central banks to pause their monetary tightening campaign.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday reiterated support for troubled lenders in the world's biggest economy.
The downing of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank forced authorities to promise customers would not lose their cash, a move aimed at preventing a run on other firms.
"The reassurances and stability measures provided by authorities in recent days appear to be having an enduring positive effect," noted National Australia Bank analyst Rodrigo Catril.
Regarding the Fed's rate decision, analysts are split over whether it would announce a 25 basis-point hike or pause to ease pressure on the banking system.
A quarter-point increase would be in line with the size of the US central bank's previous rate hike in February, and mark the ninth increase since it began tightening monetary conditions last year.
On the corporate front, Nike reported better than expected earnings in its latest quarter as strong demand helped to offset increased costs.
- Key figures around 1100 GMT -
London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 7,538.09 points
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.6 percent at 15,279.36
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,137.02
EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.4 percent at 4,198.20
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.9 percent at 27,466.61 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.7 percent at 19,591.43 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,265.75 (close)
New York - Dow: UP 1.0 percent at 32,560.60 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0790 from $1.0772 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2285 from $1.2218
Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.83 pence from 88.13 pence
Dollar/yen: UP at 132.79 yen from 132.54 yen
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $69.34 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $75.09 per barrel
burs/bcp/rfj/cw
H.Müller--CPN