- India's World Cup hopes in Pakistan hands after Australia defeat
- Zelensky says NKorea sending troops to Russian army
- England beat Finland to get back on track
- King and Lewis propel West Indies to T20 triumph over Sri Lanka
- Pre-Halloween 'Terrifier' lands atop North America box office
- 'I still plan to compete and play next season,' says Djokovic
- Harris, Trump seek advantage in knife-edge election battle
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record in Chicago
- Kamindu and Asalanka power Sri Lanka to 179 against West Indies
- Chepngetich shatters women's marathon world record as Korir wins in Chicago
- Spain send injured Yamal home 'to prioritise player's health'
- In milestone, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
- Race four abandoned after New Zealand breeze into 3-0 lead in America's Cup
- West Indies win toss, put Sri Lanka in to bat in first T20
- Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market
- Netanyahu tells UN to move Lebanon peacekeepers out of 'harm's way'
- Bangladeshi Hindus defy attack worries to celebrate festival
- Kiwis three up in America's Cup as Ineos pay for time penalty
- In a first, SpaceX 'catches' megarocket booster after test flight
- Dominant England crush Scotland at Women's T20 World Cup
- Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
- Israel fights Hezbollah on the ground, pounds Lebanon from the air
- Sabalenka outlasts local hero Zheng to win third Wuhan Open title
- Bangladeshi Hindus shrug off attack worries to celebrate festival
- Former Pakistan captain Azam dropped for second England Test
- 'Opportunist' Dupont dazzles on Toulouse return
- Australia replace injured Vlaeminck with Graham at Women's T20 World Cup
- Sinner wins Shanghai Masters to deny Djokovic 100th career title
- Ubisoft fears assassin's hit over falling sales
- Israel hits Lebanon from the air and fights Hezbollah on the ground
- China's Yin has 'goosebumps' as she romps to LPGA win in Shanghai
- Pakistan to re-use Multan pitch for second England Test
- Blair and King Charles hail Salmond's 'devotion' to Scotland
- Vietnam, China hold talks on calming South China Sea tensions
- SpaceX will try to 'catch' giant Starship rocket shortly before landing
- England captain Stokes in line for second Pakistan Test return
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgery: reports
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgey: reports
- Israel widens Lebanon strikes as troops fight Hezbollah along border
- Bowlers' graveyards: Pakistan's placid pitches under fresh fire
- 'Little Gregory' murder haunts France 40 years on
- Vietnam, China to expand rail links, cross-border payments
- Americans get their belief back as Pochettino makes his mark
- Vietnam, China to boost economic, defence cooperation
- Winning start for Pochettino's American adventure
- Tariffs, tax cuts, energy: What is in Trump's economic plan?
- Amazon wants to be everything to everyone
- US firms brace for more tariffs as election approaches
- Winning start for Poch's American adventure
Stock markets mixed as trading year nears end
Stock markets diverged on the penultimate trading day of 2023 Thursday as investors cautiously look ahead to next year when the US Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates.
Wall Street advanced at the open but European stock markets were mixed in afternoon deals.
Asian equities mostly closed higher, with Tokyo bucking the trend as it fell.
Global stock markets have mostly been on the front foot since the Fed's most recent meeting, when it signalled its rate-hike cycle could be nearing an end as inflation slows.
"Indices have been powered higher, partly by optimism about a soft landing for the US and there is still a risk of the economy slowing more sharply as the full effect of higher borrowing costs filter through," noted Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.
While US inflation has slowed, it remains above the Fed's long-term target of around two percent, and analysts warned that consumer spending had still not bounced back to healthy levels.
US retail sales over the key holiday shopping season were up 3.1 percent year-on-year, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse survey, but that was markedly down from the previous year's 7.6-percent jump.
"This is a reflection of a more cautious consumer and less discounting from retailers due to better inventory management," said asset manager Louis Navellier in a note.
"While inflation is falling, the runup from last year's high rate has still squeezed budgets against a modest wage growth closer to four percent."
On the commodities front, oil prices dropped after recent gains due to concerns the Israel-Hamas war could spill out into an all-out regional conflict.
This comes amid ongoing attacks on key Red Sea shipping lanes by Yemen's Huthi rebels.
- Key figures around 1445 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 37,683.87 points
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,735.63
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.5 percent at 7,537.65
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 16,710.05
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.3 percent at 4,516.14
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.5 percent at 17,043.53 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 33,539.62 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.4 percent at 2,954.70 (close)
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1093 from $1.1109 on Wednesday
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 140.88 yen from 141.81 yen
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2749 from $1.2801
Euro/pound: UP at 87.01 pence from 86.75 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.3 percent at $73.17 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.3 percent at $78.64 per barrel
L.Mason--AMWN