BANGKOK – Asian stocks markets fell Wednesday, with trading thinned by year-end holidays and mixed economic news out of the U.S. and Japan.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell marginally to 8,436.24. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.6 percent to 18,510.73, while South Korea’s Kospi lost 1 percent to 1,824.59. Australia’s S&P ASX 200 lost 1.2 percent to 4,089. Benchmarks in mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia were also lower.

Bucking the trend was the New Zealand NZX 50, which rose 0.4 percent to 3,228.99. Falling between the Christmas holiday and New Year’s, trading throughout the region was generally light.

Japan’s industrial output dropped a seasonally adjusted 2.6 percent last month — the first decline in two months. But the negative news was mitigated by expectations of rebounding manufacturing and production this month and next.

On Wall Street on Tuesday, the Dow Jones lost less than 0.1 percent to close at 12,291.35. The S&P 500 was up marginally to 1,265.43. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3 percent to 2,625.20.

Consumer confidence surged to an eight-month high, but home prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities tracked by the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index. That report dampened investors’ enthusiasm about a jump in consumer confidence to the highest level since April.

Benchmark crude oil rose 18 cents to $101.52 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.66 to finish at $101.34 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro was nearly unchanged at $1.3070 from $1.3069 late Tuesday in New York. The euro has been weak because of worries about Europe’s government debt crisis. It has edged up against the dollar but is still trading just above an 11-month low of $1.2943 reached on Dec. 14.

The dollar fell to 77.79 yen from 77.85 yen.

NEW YORK – Stocks were eking out small gains Tuesday on mixed economic news. Consumer confidence surged to an eight-month high, but home prices dropped in major cities. Sears plummeted after reporting that it would close more than 100 stores around the country.

In the latest sign of a bumpy recovery in the housing market, home prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities tracked by the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index. Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis posted the biggest declines. Prices in Atlanta and Las Vegas fell to their lowest points since the housing crisis began.

That report dampened investors’ enthusiasm about a jump in consumer confidence to the highest level since April. The New York-based Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index rose almost 10 points to 64.5 in December. Economists watch the numbers closely because consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.

Henry Herrmann, chief executive officer at the investment management firm Waddell & Reed, said the increase reflected the fact that more jobs have been created in recent weeks, which will likely lead to “a more sustained” economic recovery.

“If job creation will come with wage improvement in the coming weeks, it will boost confidence further,” Herrmann said.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 17 points at 12,311 as of noon Eastern. The S&P 500 was up less than 2 points at 1,267. The Nasdaq composite was off 7 points at 2,626.

The stock market was closed Monday in observance of Christmas. Stocks are expected to trade within a narrow range this week as trading remains light.

The Dow average closed at a five-month high last week after a run of strong economic data in the U.S. However analysts expect any market gains to be tempered by worries over the European debt crisis.

Italy’s borrowing costs rose Tuesday, reflecting investor anxiety. The yield on the country’s ten-year bonds hit 7 percent again, a level that is considered unsustainable in the long run. Greece, Ireland and Portugal had to seek relief from their lenders after their own borrowing costs rose to that level.

Italy is the euro zone’s third-largest economy and is considered too big to bail out. Mario Monti, the country’s new premier, got parliamentary approval last week for a big austerity package that is intended to save the country from financial disaster.

Markets have grown increasingly fearful over the past few months that Italy will find it difficult to pay off its massive debts, which stand at around $2.5 trillion.

In corporate news:

• Sears Holding Corp. plunged 23 percent to $35.04, the most in the S&P 500, after the retailer announced plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores after poor sales during the holidays, the most crucial time of year for retailers.

• U.S. oil and gas explorer Endeavour International Corp. rose 15 percent to $7.40 after the company announced an agreement to buy ConocoPhillips’ interest in three U.K. oil fields in the Central North Sea for $330 million.

• MetLife Inc. rose 1 percent to $31.61 after saying it will sell its U.S. retail deposit business to GE Capital as it moves away from being a bank holding company.

NEW YORK – Investors shifted their attention from Europe to the U.S. on Thursday, pushing stocks slightly higher on good jobs and manufacturing reports.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 45.33 points, or 0.4 percent, to 11,868.81. The Dow had lost 360 points over the past three days on worries that Europe’s latest plan to keep its currency union intact would fail.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Bank, said the break from selling meant that investors are starting to focus on signs of strength in the U.S. economy.

“We’re not completely insulated (from Europe), but trouble there doesn’t necessary spell problems for us,” he said.

Before the market opened, the government reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week to 366,000, the fewest level since May 2008. That’s a sign that layoffs are easing, a first step toward bringing down the unemployment rate, which currently stands at 8.6 percent.

Investors were also encouraged by a report from the Federal Reserve of New York that its index measuring regional manufacturing jumped to the highest level since May. That was far more than economists were expecting. A similar report from the Philadelphia branch of the Fed also increased more than analysts anticipated.

“The base of the economy is getting stronger,” said Steven Malin, an associate at money manager Aronson Johnson Ortiz.

FedEx Corp. reported that its quarterly income nearly doubled on strong growth in online shopping during the holiday season. FedEx is seen as a bellwether for the economy. Its stock jumped 8 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 3.94 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,215.76. The gains were broad. All but two of the 10 industry groups in the index rose. The two groups — technology and energy — edged down less than 0.3 percent each.

The biggest gains were in utilities and health care stocks. The profits of those companies are less likely to crumble in an economic slowdown. That suggests that investors, though encouraged by the good news Thursday, were still playing it safe.

“There’s a defensive tone to the market,” said Jeff Schwarte, a portfolio manager at Principal Global Investors. “Investors still aren’t sure about the economy.”

The Nasdaq rose 1.70 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 2,541.01.

In other corporate news:

• Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. jumped 21 percent to $24.20 on its first day of trading. The initial public offering valued the fashion design company at $3.8 billion.

• Novellus Systems Inc. jumped 16 percent. The semiconductor equipment maker said late Wednesday that it was being acquired by rival Lam Research Corp. Lam fell 8 percent.

• Rite Aid Corp. rose 3.5 percent. The drugstore chain announced that losses had narrowed in its third quarter.

European markets rose slightly, a day after big declines, as an auction of Spanish government bonds drew strong demand from investors. Germany’s DAX rose 1 percent; France’s main stock index rose 0.6 percent.

The euro rose against the dollar, moving back above $1.30, a day after hitting an 11-month low. The yields on Spanish and Italian government fell, a sign that investors were less worried about the ability of those countries to pay back their debts.

Optimism about a European debt-crisis summit this week rose and fell on Wednesday, but U.S. stock indexes barely budged. The Dow Jones industrial average closed 46 points higher, while other indicators were mixed.

Hopes have been building for the summit, which wraps up Friday. Traders hope it will generate a lasting solution to the two-year-old debt crisis.

On Wednesday, French and German leaders sought to downplay those expectations. Traders hope that European countries will link their budgets more closely and impose greater fiscal discipline on heavily indebted nations like Greece. Officials said Wednesday that a deal this week might include only some countries, and crafting a fuller plan might take until Christmas.

“The pattern has been, get your hopes up, then be disappointed by EU summits, and that pattern has been in place for a while,” said Steve Van Order, fixed income strategist at Calvert Investment Management.

The Dow rose 46.24 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 12,196.37. Its biggest gains came from financial companies. JPMorgan Chase & Co. rose 2.3 percent, Bank of America Corp. rose 1.9 percent and insurance giant Travelers Cos. Inc. rose 1.8 percent. Machinery maker Caterpillar Inc. fell 1.1 percent, the most in the Dow 30.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 2.54 points, or 0.2 percent, at 1,261.01. The Nasdaq composite index lost 0.35, or 0.01 percent, to 2,649.21.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.03 percent from 2.09 percent late Tuesday.

Traders have been growing restless with the delays in getting a resolution to Europe’s debt crisis. Rating agencies have warned of possible downgrades for nations using the euro if they do not quickly set a firm plan for solving the two-year-old ordeal.

In Europe, yields on Spanish and Italian government debt rose. That means investors are demanding higher returns because of fears that one of those nations might default. Borrowing costs for Spain and Italy had fallen sharply until Tuesday, having reached dangerously high levels a week earlier. European stocks were mostly lower. Germany’s DAX fell 0.6 percent, Britain’s FTSE 0.4 percent.

In corporate news:

• Struggling women’s clothing company Talbots Inc. jumped 70 percent after private-equity firm Sycamore Partners made a $205.2 million takeover offer.

• Men’s Wearhouse Inc. surged 20 percent after reporting third-quarter results that topped Wall Street’s expectations. The company also raised its full-year earnings forecast.

• SAIC Inc. rose 6.6 percent after the defense contractor reported results that beat Wall Street’s expectations.

• First Solar Inc. jumped 4 percent after the company reached a deal to sell a planned California energy farm to MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.

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Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Europe’s spreading debt woes and slower manufacturing in China pushed stocks sharply lower Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 180 points in midday trading.

Traders worldwide were spooked by an auction of German debt that drew too few bids to sell all of the 10-year notes being offered. Germany has Europe’s strongest economy, and traders have bought its debt as a safe place to store value during turbulent times.

The weak buying suggests that Europe’s crisis might be infecting strong nations that are crucial to keeping the euro currency afloat. Germany bears much of the burden of bailing out weaker neighbors such as Greece and Portugal.

Borrowing costs for Italy and Spain rose from levels that already were considered dangerously high. Europe lacks the resources to bail out those countries, which have its third- and fourth-biggest economies.

Asian markets fell earlier after a survey showed that manufacturing appears to be slowing in China. A day earlier, the U.S. government had lowered its estimate of third-quarter economic growth.

The Dow fell 181 points, or 1.6 percent, to 11,313 at 12:20 p.m. Eastern time. The S&P 500 fell 20, or 1.7 percent, to 1,168. The Nasdaq fell 48, or 1.9 percent, to 2,473.

The S&P’s 10 industry groups all declined sharply. Financial companies and materials makers fell the most, more than 2 percent. The index is headed for its sixth straight decline, the longest losing streak since August.

The Nasdaq composite index lost 52, or 2 percent, to 2,469.

The dollar rose sharply against the euro as investors moved money into assets considered to be relatively safe. The dollar jumped about two cents against the euro, to $1.33.

Relatively few shares were traded as many U.S. market participants got an early start on Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday. The market will be closed on Thursday and will have shortened hours on Friday.

In corporate news, Deere & Co. said strong sales of its farm equipment helped boost the company’s fourth quarter profit by 46 percent, beating Wall Street expectations. Deere stock rose 3.8 percent.

Groupon Inc. plunged 14 percent to $17.22, trading below its initial price of $20 for the first time. The online deals company went public Nov. 4.

In Germany’s auction of 10-year bonds, buyers bid on only 60 percent of the 6 billion euros ($8.1 billion) up for sale. That’s a worrisome sign of weak demand.

The U.S. government released a mixed batch of economic reports before the market opened. Concerns about developments overseas appeared to overshadow the reports’ hopeful elements.

Slightly more people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs continue. However, the broader trend is positive. The four-week average fell for the eighth time in nine weeks.

Consumer spending grew by the least in four months. However, incomes rose a bit more than expected. Orders for long-lasting manufactured products fell for a second month. But the main drag was a decline in commercial aircraft orders, which economists sometimes exclude because they are highly volatile.

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Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

U.S. stock indexes opened sharply lower Wednesday on worries about global economic growth.

A batch of mixed economic reports from the U.S. government dampened traders’ hopes before the market opened.

The Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 393,000 last week, slightly more than economists expected. That’s a sign that layoffs are continuing.

Consumer spending increased 0.1 percent last month, below analysts’ expectations and the weakest gain in four months. Incomes, however, rose 0.4 percent, slightly better than expected.

Orders for long-lasting manufactured products fell for a second straight month. The Commerce Department said durable goods orders fell 0.7 percent, led by a drop in spending for commercial aircraft.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 130 points, or 1.1 percent, to 11,364 at 10 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 15, or 1.3 percent, to 1,173. The Nasdaq composite fell 30, or 1.2 percent, to 2,491.

Earlier, stock markets in Asia fell after a survey showed manufacturing slowing in China, the world’s second-largest economy. That came a day after the U.S. government lowered its estimate of third-quarter economic growth.

In corporate news, Deere & Co. said strong sales of its farm equipment helped boost the company’s fourth quarter profit by 46 percent, beating Wall Street expectations. Deere stock rose 4 percent.

In Europe, Germany failed to raise as much money as planned in an auction of 10-year bonds. Investors placed bids for only 60 percent of the 6 billion euros ($8.1 billion) up for sale. Part of the problem was the low interest rate, 1.98 percent, the lowest yield for 10-year bonds in the country’s history.

The U.S. government’s revision to third quarter economic growth helped knock stocks lower on Tuesday. Higher borrowing costs for Spain’s government also renewed worries about Europe’s debt crisis.

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Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.