GLOBAL MARKETS-Global stock markets steady ahead of Fed meeting

The broad FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.8%, closing in on its record peak of February 2020, while the regional autos sector jumped 2.1% to its highest level since June 2018. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.39%, the S&P 500 lost 0.16% and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.09%.

NEW YORK: Wall Street's S&P 500 index ended lower on Tuesday and a gauge of global equities was close to flat as investors awaited the Federal Reserve and other central bank meetings this week, where regulators will indicate whether they will retain policies supporting a post-pandemic recovery.

U.S. stocks retreated late in the session, with the Nasdaq shedding more than a 1% gain, as yields on longer-maturity U.S. Treasury bonds ticked up, nipping investor enthusiasm for tech stocks that are high-growth but wary of rising inflation.