Sawt Falasteen - Stocks diverge, dollar up on eve of key US inflation data

The dollar gained awaiting Wednesday's update on consumer prices in the world's biggest economy.

A reading that points to inflation remaining hot could see the Federal Reserve continuing to hike US interest rates this year, confounding expectations of a freeze according to analysts.

Further gains to oil prices Tuesday increased concerns about inflation staying above target for longer.

"A higher oil price is a worry, given how the talk this summer has been about easing inflationary pressures," noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

"Higher energy costs could derail that trend and cause new problems for consumers and businesses. However, investors don't appear to recognise that risk given trends seen on global markets in recent sessions."

A group of leading economists at some of the world's biggest banks said they did not expect the Fed to hike again in 2023 and would begin slashing borrowing costs in the new year, while they also predicted the United States would avoid a recession.

"Given both demonstrated and anticipated progress on inflation, the majority of the committee members believe the Fed's tightening cycle has run its course," said Simona Mocuta, chair of the 14-member American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee.

The ABA includes economists from banking titans such as JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

In Asia, property stocks in Hong Kong rallied following a report that troubled developer Country Garden had been given the green light by creditors to extend payments on six yuan bonds by three years.

The firm won approval from creditors this month to extend a deadline for another key bond repayment to give it time to recover financially.

The latest report helped soothe concerns about the troubled property sector, pushing the firm's shares up around two percent, having been in the red earlier in the day.

Rival China Evergrande, which is also struggling with massive debts, climbed more than six percent.

Country Garden said last week it had made multimillion-dollar interest payments on two outstanding loans, narrowly avoiding what would have been its first default.

However, China worries continue to dampen buying sentiment, even after small signs of improvement in the world's number-two economy, including a return to inflation and smaller-than-expected drop in exports and imports.

And while the government has announced a series of measures to kickstart growth and support the property sector, it is facing calls to unveil a blockbuster stimulus along the lines of that seen in 2008 during the global financial crisis.

- Key figures around 1045 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 7,538.35 points

Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 15,740.72

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,262.58

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.2 percent at 4,244.10

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 32,776.37 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 18,025.89 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,137.06 (close)

New York - Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 34,663.72 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 146.95 yen from 146.56 yen on Monday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0714 from $1.0752

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2464 from $1.2511

Euro/pound: UP at 85.94 from 85.87 pence

Brent North Sea crude: UP 0.7 percent at $91.29 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.9 percent at $88.04 per barrel

X.Habash--SF-PST