Global stocks follow Wall St lower before US inflation data

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets are lower ahead of U.S. inflation data that might influence a Federal Reserve decision on when to roll back economic stimulus. London and Frankfurt opened lower. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong retreated. Wall Street futures were higher a day after the benchmark S&P 500 index fell 0.7%. Investors had pushed up stocks after anxiety eased about the coronavirus’s latest variant. Investors were looking ahead to U.S. inflation data for November. Fed officials have said plans to wind down bond purchases and other stimulus might be accelerated if needed to cool inflation that hit a 30-year high in October.