Global stocks slipped and the dollar fell on Wednesday as investors worried about the run-up in equity markets this year and US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said US unemployment remained too high.
US crude prices retreated as official data showed increases in U.S. oil inventories, while prices for Brent crude in London topped $100 a barrel, supported by unrest in Egypt.
US government debt prices rose as bargain hunters emerged as anxiety over the U.S. central bank's inflation-fighting pace pushed benchmark yields to nine-and-a-half month highs.
Bernanke told the a US House panel that a 9% unemployment rate was too high and the rate of inflation too low for the Fed to budge from its super-loose policy stand, while acknowledging recent economic improvement.
The euro broke above a key USD 1.3700 level versus the dollar on Bernanke's testimony before the US House of Representatives Budget Committee that largely echoed a speech he delivered last week.
Wall Street edged lower as investors booked profits after stocks hit new two-and-a-half-year highs Tuesday, but strong earnings made it likely the market would continue an upward trend.
Global stocks, as measured by MSCI's all-country world index are up more than 4% so far this year and the S&P 500, a US benchmark, has gained more than 5% since the beginning of 2011.
"The primary trend (in the market) is that we are moving up on solid earnings, and a little bit of profit-taking on a small volume only means new bids are coming up," said Joseph Greco, managing director at Meridian Equity Partners in New York.
Shares of Dow components Coca Cola Co and Walt Disney Co jumped after both reported strong results, helping the index outperform the broad market.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 21.42 points, or 0.18 percent, at 12,211.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dipped 6.88 points, or 0.52%, at 1,317.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 11.03 points, or 0.39%, at 2,786.02.
European shares were off, further retreating from 29-month highs hit earlier this week, weighed down by mining shares on concerns over demand after top consumer China raised interest rates to fight inflation.
"Our view is that gently, not aggressively, we are not mega bearish, take money off the table. We are looking to buy the market at a lower level," said Philip Lawlor, investment strategist at Smith & Williamson in London.
A rush of deals by stock exchange operators had little impact on the big indexes.
Germany's Deutsche Boerse is in advanced talks to buy NYSE Euronext, while the London Stock Exchange agreed to buy Canadian stock market operato.
The dollar was down against a basket of major currencies, with the US Dollar Index off 0.38% at 77.701.
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was up 0.21% at 82.49.
US Treasury debt prices were higher. The benchmark 10-year note was up 6/32 in price to yield 3.71%.
Bund futures settled at 122.33, down 49 ticks on the day to briefly touch their lowest since mid-April.
US light sweet crude oil fell 24 cents to USD 86.70 a barrel. But North Sea Brent for March delivery climbed above USD 100 a barred, up 90 cents at USD 100.82.
The US Energy Information Administration said domestic crude stocks rose 1.9 million barrels in the week to Feb. 4, a smaller increase than the forecast of a 2.4-million-barrel build.
US crude prices retreated as official data showed increases in U.S. oil inventories, while prices for Brent crude in London topped $100 a barrel, supported by unrest in Egypt.
US government debt prices rose as bargain hunters emerged as anxiety over the U.S. central bank's inflation-fighting pace pushed benchmark yields to nine-and-a-half month highs.
Bernanke told the a US House panel that a 9% unemployment rate was too high and the rate of inflation too low for the Fed to budge from its super-loose policy stand, while acknowledging recent economic improvement.
The euro broke above a key USD 1.3700 level versus the dollar on Bernanke's testimony before the US House of Representatives Budget Committee that largely echoed a speech he delivered last week.
Wall Street edged lower as investors booked profits after stocks hit new two-and-a-half-year highs Tuesday, but strong earnings made it likely the market would continue an upward trend.
Global stocks, as measured by MSCI's all-country world index are up more than 4% so far this year and the S&P 500, a US benchmark, has gained more than 5% since the beginning of 2011.
"The primary trend (in the market) is that we are moving up on solid earnings, and a little bit of profit-taking on a small volume only means new bids are coming up," said Joseph Greco, managing director at Meridian Equity Partners in New York.
Shares of Dow components Coca Cola Co and Walt Disney Co jumped after both reported strong results, helping the index outperform the broad market.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 21.42 points, or 0.18 percent, at 12,211.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dipped 6.88 points, or 0.52%, at 1,317.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 11.03 points, or 0.39%, at 2,786.02.
European shares were off, further retreating from 29-month highs hit earlier this week, weighed down by mining shares on concerns over demand after top consumer China raised interest rates to fight inflation.
"Our view is that gently, not aggressively, we are not mega bearish, take money off the table. We are looking to buy the market at a lower level," said Philip Lawlor, investment strategist at Smith & Williamson in London.
A rush of deals by stock exchange operators had little impact on the big indexes.
Germany's Deutsche Boerse is in advanced talks to buy NYSE Euronext, while the London Stock Exchange agreed to buy Canadian stock market operato.
The dollar was down against a basket of major currencies, with the US Dollar Index off 0.38% at 77.701.
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was up 0.21% at 82.49.
US Treasury debt prices were higher. The benchmark 10-year note was up 6/32 in price to yield 3.71%.
Bund futures settled at 122.33, down 49 ticks on the day to briefly touch their lowest since mid-April.
US light sweet crude oil fell 24 cents to USD 86.70 a barrel. But North Sea Brent for March delivery climbed above USD 100 a barred, up 90 cents at USD 100.82.
The US Energy Information Administration said domestic crude stocks rose 1.9 million barrels in the week to Feb. 4, a smaller increase than the forecast of a 2.4-million-barrel build.
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