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European stocks (.STOXX) fell as much as 0.5% in early trading, with rate-sensitive tech stocks (.SX8P) losing 0.8%. And the latest spike in oil prices to 10-month highs is unlikely to escape the Fed's attention. Fuelling worries over persistent inflation were oil prices, which firmed after hitting a 10-month peak a day earlier. ECB HIKE BETSThe euro was down 0.1% at $1.074, after nearing one-week highs on the Reuters story which was published late on Tuesday. "The leak raises the possibility of a hawkish hike which would be much more supportive for the EUR," said Steve Englander, global head of G10 FX research at Standard Chartered, referring to the Reuters report.

Persons: Androniki, Robert Alster, you'll, Steve Englander, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam, Christina Fincher Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Consumer, Index, Federal Reserve, Management, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Nasdaq, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Markets, Standard Chartered, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SYDNEY, Asia, Pacific, London, Sydney

European shares (.STOXX) slipped 1.1% after falling on Wednesday to two-week lows as rating agency Fitch cut the U.S. government's credit rating. UK shares (.FTSE) fell 1.3%, with the Bank of England (BoE) expected to raise interest rates later in the day. Pressuring stocks were a climb in long-term U.S. Treasury yields after stronger-than-expected private employment data and the announced refunding of the U.S. government's maturing debt. U.S. 10-year yields hit a new nine-month peak of 4.17%, while 30-year yields rose to a fresh nine-month top. The risk, investors said, was that a repeat of June's surprise half-point increase could fuel bets that major central banks are not done tightening yet.

Persons: Issei Kato, Fitch, BoE, Jonathan Petersen, Morgan Stanley, Sterling, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Apple, LONDON, Bank of England, Nasdaq, Treasury, U.S, Capital Economics, APPLE, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia, SYDNEY, Pacific, China, London, Sydney

European stocks (.STOXX) slipped 0.6%, heading for their first daily loss in eight sessions, with German shares (.GDAXI) down the same amount. The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, fell 0.2%. Earlier, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) dropped 0.8% after the China data. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) also fell 0.3% on profit-taking after climbing to three-decade highs. Brent crude futures fell 0.3% to $75.97 a barrel after climbing 2.1% overnight.

Persons: Michael Hewson, Guy Miller, Brent, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Dhara, Sam Holmes, Helen Popper, Christina Fincher Organizations: Global, Federal, Independence, CMC Markets, Reuters, Zurich Insurance Group, U.S, Japan's Nikkei, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, China, U.S, Europe, United States, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Tokyo, Saudi Arabia, Russia, London, Sydney

Wall Street was set for losses, too, with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures down 0.2%-0.4%. The MSCI world equity index (.MIWD00000PUS), which tracks shares in 47 countries, fell 0.2%. The U.S. dollar drifted near the middle of its range of the past three weeks against major peers, with the dollar index down 0.1% to 102.99, after tracking between 103.75 and 102.75 since early June. Earlier, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) dropped 0.7% after the China data. Brent crude futures fell 0.2% to $76.05 a barrel after climbing 2.1% overnight.

Persons: Michael Hewson, Guy Miller, Brent, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Dhara, Sam Holmes, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Nikkei, Global, Federal, Nasdaq, CMC Markets, Reuters, Zurich Insurance Group, U.S, Japan's Nikkei, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, United States, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, London, Sydney

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