US stocks mixed after inflation data as London strikes record

NEW YORK, United States — Wall Street stocks reacted indecisively to a mixed US inflation report Tuesday, while the London stock market struck a record peak, closing near 8,000 points. 

Investors had been waiting eagerly for the latest inflation data, as the US Federal Reserve has indicated that it is looking for pricing pressures to ease before relenting in its campaign of raising interest rates.

While the consumer price index (CPI), an important inflation gauge, eased from last year's decades-high levels, the dip to an annual rate of 6.4 percent in January was still well above policymakers' two percent target.

The 0.5 percent month-on-month rise was higher than the 0.1 percent gain in December, driven by rising rent and gasoline costs.

"The key takeaway from the report is that there has been a clear deceleration from peak inflation," said market analyst Patrick O'Hare at Briefing.com.

"However, the inflation rates are not nearly low enough to suggest the Fed would even be thinking about cutting rates this year," he added.

Stocks have recently rallied on hopes that moving past peak inflation would allow the Fed to pause and maybe even begin reversing rate hikes this year.

Higher prices for food, shelter, energy and other items suggest that the hoped-for "disinflation" has not arrived, said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.

But he described sentiment as broadly bullish.

"Right now the momentum in the stock market is generally positive and stock traders are looking for an excuse to rally," Sosnick said.

US indices were mixed at the end of the day, with the Dow lower but the Nasdaq advancing.

The dollar, which had slid against main rivals ahead of the data, rebounded before wobbling against the euro.

FTSE flirts with 8,000

In London, the benchmark FTSE 100 shares index struck an all-time high of 7,996.35 points in morning deals after reaching new heights in recent sessions.

"The tailwinds from another decent market performance in the US overnight have given the FTSE another boost, propelling it to a new record high and towards the psychologically important 8,000 barrier," Interactive Investor analyst Richard Hunter told AFP.

He added that the index "continues to attract investment interest." Its exposure to banks and energy companies still see the benefits of rising interest rates and a recovering Chinese economy respectively.

Shares in Vodafone won more than three percent after US telecoms giant Liberty Global snapped up a near five-percent stake in its British rival but ruled out a takeover.

After spending most of the day higher, London, Frankfurt and Paris stocks ended near their starting levels.

Asian equity indices closed on a mixed note after a shaky couple of weeks.