Sawt Falasteen - Stock markets steadier, dollar up before rate calls

Following a long holiday weekend for markets across Europe and Asia, trading resumed to news that annual inflation in the eurozone edged up to seven percent in April after five months of decline.

Consumer prices rose from a rate of 6.9 percent in March, which could further encourage the European Central Bank to raise interest rates once more on Thursday, according to analysts.

"Strategists are betting that we will see a slight pullback in the key core inflation data, but this has proven a stickier indicator in the eurozone than in the US and market hopes have been disappointed before," noted Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at financial services firm Ebury.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announces its latest call on US borrowing costs.

Australia's central bank on Tuesday delivered a surprise interest rate hike to an 11-year high, dashing hopes it would hold them steady as inflation shows signs of slowing.

Adding to investor uncertainty were fears about the banking sector after another US regional lender went under.

Regulators on Monday announced the seizure of First Republic and that it had been sold to JPMorgan Chase, making it the second biggest bank by assets to collapse in US history.

"The collapse of First Republic saw JPMorgan step up to the plate and squash the biggest market risk on the table," said Edward Moya, analyst at Oanda trading group.

The takeover of First Republic came after the collapse of three US midsized lenders in March, including Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank -- which rattled markets and raised contagion worries.

SVB's failure came after it took on too much interest rate risk, among other issues.

Nevertheless, the US central bank is widely expected to raise its benchmark lending rate for a tenth and possibly final time in the current cycle -- by another quarter-point.

Elsewhere, data showed that Hong Kong's economy grew in the first quarter, ending a disastrous year-long spell during which the finance hub was effectively closed for business owing to pandemic restrictions.

- Key figures around 1100 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 7,869.04 points

Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 15,889.37

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,460.50

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.3 percent at 4,346.17

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent at 29,157.95 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 19,933.81 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: Closed for holiday

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1 percent at 34,051.70 (close)

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0959 from $1.0978 on Monday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2472 from $1.2498

Dollar/yen: UP at 137.50 yen from 137.45 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 87.88 pence from 87.80 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $75.20 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $78.97 per barrel

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K.AbuTaha--SF-PST