London — Stock markets were jumpy on Wednesday, as volatility returned following higher-than-expected US consumer price data, rekindling the kind of inflationary fears that sent world markets into a tailspin last week. Wall Street stocks were mostly lower early on the after the much stronger US inflation was offset somewhat by a poor retail sales report. About 25 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2% to 24,585.92. The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.1% to 2,659.08, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index edged up 0.1% to 7,019.12. European prices took a hit, briefly tumbling, as the data fed speculation that US borrowing costs might have to be ramped up very soon. US consumer price inflation jumped to 0.5% in January, overshooting analysts’ expectations, with one key measure posting its highest increase in a year, the US labour department calculated. The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile food and fuel categories, rose 0.3%, the larges...
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