- Injury-ravaged Krygios aiming to return at Australian Open
- Greek international Baldock, dead at 31: family
- EU talks deportation hubs to stem migration
- Deaths and repression sideline Suu Kyi's party ahead of Myanmar vote
- S. Africa offers a lesson on how not to shut down a coal plant
- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
- Mets advance on Lindor grand slam, Yankees and Tigers win
- Taiwan President Lai vows to 'resist annexation' of island
- China's solar goes from supremacy to oversupply
- Asian markets track Wall St record as Hong Kong, Shanghai stabilise
- 'Denying my potential': women at Japan's top university call out gender imbalance
- China's central bank says opens up $70.6 bn in liquidity to boost market
- Zelensky on whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Youth facing unprecedented wave of violence, UN envoy warns
- 'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze
- Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
- Lindor powers Mets past Phillies into NL Championship Series
- Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
- 'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says
- Death toll rises to 109 after Haiti gang attack, official says
- Tigers beat Guardians and on brink of advancing in MLB playoffs
- Argentina MPs back Milei's veto of university funding
- Man City sink Barca in Women's Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
- Greek international Baldock, 31, found dead in pool: state agency
- Florida seaside haven a ghost town as hurricane nears
- Pharrell Williams to co-chair Met Gala exploring Black dandyism
- Wall Street indices hit fresh records as Chinese shares tumble
- Taiwan's president to deliver key speech for National Day
- Sea row on the menu as ASEAN leaders meet China's Li
- Injured Kane won't start England's Nations League clash with Greece
- Discord seen as online home for renegades
- US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday
- Mozambique starts tallying votes in tense election
- Zelensky moves to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Ratan Tata: Indian mogul who built a global powerhouse
- Rodgers rejects 'false' suggestions of role in Saleh dismissal
- One dead as storm Kirk tears through Spain, Portugal, France
- Indian business titan Ratan Tata dead at 86
- Lebanon facing 'catastrophic' situation as 600,000 displaced: UN
- US warns Israel not to repeat Gaza destruction in Lebanon
- Musk's X returns in Brazil after 40-day showdown with judge
- Call her savvy? Harris unleashes unconventional media blitz
- Lucian Freud 'masterpiece' fetches £13.9 million at London sale
- SoFi Stadium to hold next two CONCACAF Nations League finals
- McIlroy and DeChambeau set for PGA-LIV 'Showdown' in Vegas
- Fed minutes highlight divisions over rate cut decision
- Steve McQueen debuts new WWII film at London festival
- Run blitz edges India and South Africa closer to World Cup semi-finals
- Zelensky to court European leaders in drive for military aid
- Israel captain says 'difficult' to focus on football in time of war
Wall Street stocks hit by China worries, pullback in tech
Wall Street's main indices mostly tumbled Wednesday as fears of heightened trade tensions with China hit tech stocks.
The increasing prospect of a US rate reduction also weighed on the dollar, helping push gold, a haven investment that is priced in the currency, to another record peak.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq slumped by 2.8 percent to finish the day, and the broad S&P 500 dropped 1.4 percent as investors worried about renewed trade tensions with China.
"A Bloomberg report that the Biden Administration is discussing tighter export restrictions for semiconductors and semiconductor equipment going to China has caused an upsetting stir," said market analyst Patrick O'Hare of Briefing.com.
Shares in artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia fell 6.6 percent, while those in ASML, which manufactures the equipment to make computer chips, tumbled 12.7 percent.
"Separately, a remark from former President Trump that Taiwan should be paying the U.S. for its defense has created some geopolitical angst that is also weighing on the semiconductor group," O'Hare added.
Tech stocks, in particular Nvidia, have been on a tear in recent months over the boom in the development of artificial intelligence applications, helping drive Wall Street to new records.
The Dow, however, pushed to a third straight record high on Wednesday.
In Europe, London equities held steady, closing 0.3 percent in the green despite stronger-than-expected UK inflation data dousing hopes of a British interest rate cut anytime soon.
"The Bank of England requires a higher level of certainty in order to actually lower rates," said Patrick Munnelly of broker Tickmill.
Elsewhere in Europe, Paris and Frankfurt closed lower.
UK inflation holding steady at 2.0 percent in June from May, stronger than forecast, helped push the British pound close to a one-year high above $1.30. Investors expect that the Federal Reserve is set to start reducing American borrowing costs soon.
Gold prices spiked to $2,482.42 per ounce, while the yen also rallied.
In Asia, stock markets saw mixed fortunes as expectations for a US rate cut played out against the prospect of another Donald Trump presidency, which analysts warn could see inflation-fueling tax cuts and import tariffs.
- Key figures around 2030 GMT -
New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 41,198.08 points (close)
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 1.4 percent at 5,588.27 (close)
New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 2.8 percent at 17,996.92 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,187.46 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 7,570.81 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 18,437.30 (close)
EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 1.1 percent at 4,891.46 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 41,097.69 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.1 percent at 17,739.41 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 2,962.85 (close)
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3012 from $1.2974 on Tuesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0941 from $1.0903
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 156.33 yen from 158.39 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 84.07 pence at 84.01 pence
West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.6 percent at $82.85 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.6 percent at $85.08 per barrel
burs-rl-bys/bfm
D.Kaufman--AMWN