Sawt Falasteen - Stock markets rise as traders weigh future Fed cuts

Bitcoin was trading above the $90,000 level but below Wednesday's record of $93,462.

Observers are expecting it to soon top $100,000 following pro-crypto pledges from the US president-elect.

Investors were looking forward to a speech by US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for indications about future interest rate cuts.

"Powell will likely face questions about the latest inflation data and the potential effects of protectionist policies under Trump, on the central’s monetary policy in 2025," said City Index and FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.

US consumer inflation data released on Wednesday showed that consumer prices rose in line with forecasts, cementing expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again next month.

But with Trump having vowed to impose across-the-board tariffs that could boost inflation and give the Fed reason to pause cutting interest rates.

"As things stand, the market is cautiously pricing in just 50 basis points of easing by mid-2025 –- a marked revision from before the US election" when it expected more cuts, added Razaqzada.

"The market, though, has a tendency of making its own mind up, and any dovish Powell remarks might fall on deaf ears."

Meanwhile data released on Thursday showed upticks in wholesale price inflation, which could also give the Fed reason to reevaluate the need to cut rates further.

Wall Street's main indices opened with modest gains.

European markets fared better, with updated data confirming the eurozone recorded 0.4 percent growth in the third quarter.

Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai all fell on Thursday as concerns over another possible China-US trade war, and Beijing's economic woes, weighed on Asian markets.

The dollar built on advances against its peers on the prospect that Trump's policies will keep the Fed from cutting interest rates as much as initially expected.

The greenback topped 155 yen for the first time since July, putting focus on Japanese authorities who have said they are prepared to support their unit if they considered moves to be one-sided or speculative.

The dollar was also at a more than one-year high against the euro.

In company news, shares in Disney jumped more than 11 percent after the entertainment giant beat expectations in its latest quarterly earnings.

While its net profits dipped, its earnings per share excluding exceptional items beat analyst expectations, as did a six percent increase in sales.

Shares in Meta fell 0.7 percent after the EU fined it almost 800 million euros ($840 million) on Thursday for breaching antitrust rules by giving users of its Facebook social network automatic access to classified ads service Facebook Marketplace.

Shares in struggling British fashion house Burberry rose around 19 percent on London's FTSE 250 as the group announced cost-cutting plans after posting a loss.

Chinese tech giant Tencent rose more than one percent after an upbeat earnings announcement in which it saw forecast-beating profits in the third quarter.

It also said it saw signs of a recovery in the world's number two economy.

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com also announced a pickup in third-quarter revenue, in a positive sign for the firm as it grapples with lacklustre consumer spending.

The firm's latest results -- as well as rival Alibaba's expected third-quarter filing on Friday -- are being closely scrutinised by analysts and investors for signs that recent measures taken by the Chinese government to boost activity are having an impact.

- Key figures around 1430 GMT -

New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 44,042.31

New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 5,992.15

New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 19,259.37

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,080.37

Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.4 percent at 7,315.80

Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.5 percent at 19,294.96

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.5 percent at 38,535.70 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.0 percent at 19,435.81 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 1.7 percent at 3,379.84 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 155.68 yen from 155.51 yen on Wednesday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0554 from $1.0564

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2690 from $1.2710

Euro/pound: UP at 83.17 pence from 83.11 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.3 percent at $69.35 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.3 percent at $73.19 per barrel

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G.AbuOdeh--SF-PST