Dollar jumps, stocks waver
The haven dollar climbed and global stock markets wavered Wednesday as investors fretted over the slow progress of talks seeking to raise the US debt ceiling.
All eyes remain on Washington, where lawmakers remain deadlocked in negotiations to lift the country's borrowing limit to pay its debts and avert a market-rattling default.
The euro slid to $1.0821, the lowest level since early April, in a broad dollar rally as the greenback benefitted from its status as a safe bet in times of economic turmoil.
Asian and European equities were handed a tepid lead from Wall Street, where disappointing retail sales data and weak Home Depot earnings highlighted soft consumer demand.
But analysts said the readings were unlikely to give the Federal Reserve room to pause its interest-rate hiking campaign yet.
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