Sawt Falasteen - Stock markets diverge as Trump fears build

The prospect of higher prices on the back of Trump's planned tax cuts, import tariffs and an easing of regulations gave fresh impetus to the dollar, which has rallied since the Republican's election win last week.

Focus is now on the release of key US October consumer price data due later in the day, with expectations for a slight uptick from the previous month.

"It’s particularly pertinent given concerns that Trump’s tariff policies will be inflationary," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.

"If prices are already looking unruly, expectations will rise for Trump's threats to be watered down."

The reading will be pored over for an idea about the Federal Reserve's plans for borrowing costs when it meets again in December.

Major European indices edged higher around midday Wednesday.

Shares in Siemens Energy surged more than 15 percent after the German company posted positive annual results and upgraded its outlook.

Asian markets mostly ended lower as Trump named known China hawks to key cabinet positions, fuelling concerns about another debilitating trade war between the economic superpowers.

"We expect the effective tariff rate on US imports from China to rise to around 40 percent," said Harry Murphy Cruise at Moody's Analytics.

"That would effectively double the rate today," he told AFP.

"It's likely the threat of further tariffs up to the touted 60 percent would be used as a negotiating tool."

Cruise said "China would almost certainly follow suit, imposing tariffs of its own of equal magnitude".

The threat of another standoff comes as Beijing struggles to kickstart growth at home, unveiling a raft of measures at the end of September but leaving traders disappointed.

China's state media on Wednesday reported that Beijing had announced a raft of tax policies aimed at boosting the country's ailing property market.

Wall Street provided a negative lead, with its three main indices finishing in the red Tuesday as investors took a breather from a week-long rally to more record highs.

Traders are keeping tabs on bitcoin after it came within a whisker of breaking $90,000 for the first time on Tuesday owing to Trump's pro-crypto campaign pledges.

- Key figures around 1100 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 8,062.73

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,248.33

Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.3 percent at 19,096.11

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.7 percent at 38,721.66 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.1 percent at 19,823.45 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,439.28 (close)

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.9 percent at 43,910.98 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 154.98 yen from 154.59 yen on Tuesday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0617 from $1.0625

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2741 from $1.2748

Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.31 pence from 83.34 pence

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.7 percent at $72.38 per barrel

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.7 percent at $68.61 per barrel

O.Salim--SF-PST