World markets tread water before Fed rate call

Global equities trod water Wednesday as investors stuck to the sidelines ahead of a crucial US interest rate decision, while keeping an eye on developments in the Middle East after the attack on Saudi oil facilities.

Expectations are running high for the US Federal Reserve to deliver the year's second interest rate cut later on Wednesday.

Frankfurt and Paris stocks closed marginally higher, but London lost ground and Wall Street was lower, as dealers awaited fresh rates guidance from Fed chief Jerome Powell after a key monetary policy meeting.

"European markets are mixed... as investors wait patiently for the first major interest rate decision of the week and the most important," said OANDA analyst Craig Erlam.

"There seems to be little question that the Fed is going to cut interest rates again. The real question is whether they will stick to the mid-cycle adjustment message and refuse to explicitly signal more cuts or give up the fight and acknowledge that an easing cycle is underway."
OANDA's Erlam said that the prediction for getting the installations back up and running was a "much faster timeline than people were expecting."