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- Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales
- Vietnam, China hold talks on calming South China Sea tensions
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- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
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- 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
Global stocks dip on eve of US inflation data
Stock markets dropped Tuesday as investors awaited key US inflation data and tracked President Joe Biden's battle with Republicans over the debt ceiling.
Wall Street indices finished moderately lower, while major European stocks closed flat or in negative territory.
London stocks fell into the red as investors returned from a long holiday weekend marking the coronation of King Charles III.
Traders now await Wednesday's US inflation data that will shape the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy.
A drop in the inflation reading in recent months has fanned hopes that the Fed will soon pause its tightening campaign and potentially even begin cutting rates by the end of the year, with the banking crisis reinforcing that view.
"US inflation data... will play a key role in shaping the Fed's interest rate plans moving forward," said Nigel Green, head of financial advisory firm deVere Group.
After lifting borrowing costs last week, officials hinted at a possible hold at their June meeting.
"We've finally reached the point at which the Federal Reserve may be at the end of its tightening cycle and we can start to look forward to when it can feasibly begin to ease policy in order to offset any shock to the economy," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at trading platform OANDA.
The Bank of England will also announce its latest monetary policy decision on Thursday, as analysts expect another hike with UK inflation holding stubbornly above 10 percent.
Meanwhile, traders are keeping tabs on Washington as Biden started talks Tuesday with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders on raising the debt ceiling.
There are worries that lawmakers will fail to reach a deal in time to increase the amount that the country can borrow to meet its repayment obligations, with right-wing Republicans determined to secure spending cuts.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned the government could hit its limit by the start of June, adding that "financial and economic chaos would ensue" if a deal was not reached.
- Sweden real estate worries -
In Europe, real estate shares were dragged down by one of Sweden's biggest commercial landlords.
There were signs of Sweden's property crisis worsening as SBB took a series of steps to save cash, including scrapping a planned share sale, and continued focus on selling assets.
Its shares fell more than 24 percent on Tuesday, a day after the real estate group was downgraded to "junk" status by credit agency S&P.
Shares in Switzerland's biggest bank, UBS, also fell after it announced that Credit Suisse CEO Ulrich Koerner would join its leadership team when it completes the merger with its fallen domestic rival.
In New York, Boeing jumped 2.3 percent as it reached an agreement to sell as many as 300 planes to Ryanair over the next decade. Ryanair climbed 3.6 percent in Dublin.
Asian stock markets were largely downbeat after data showed a steeper-than-expected drop in Chinese imports, suggesting recovery from zero-Covid policies in the world's number two economy is not yet as strong as hoped.
- Key figures around 2050 GMT -
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 33,561.81 (close)
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.5 percent at 4,119.17 (close)
New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.6 percent at 12,179.55 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,764.09 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: FLAT at 15,955.48 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.6 percent at 7,397.17 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.6 percent at 4,323.09 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 29,242.82 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.1 percent at 19,867.58 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,357.67 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0965 from $1.1004 on Monday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2622 from $1.2618
Dollar/yen: UP at 135.22 yen from 135.10 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.84 pence from 87.21 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.8 percent at $73.71 per barrel
Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.6 percent at $77.44 per barrel
burs-jmb/bys
M.P.Jacobs--CPN