BANGKOK – Asian stock markets fell Thursday after data showed inflation in China was heating up again, complicating efforts by Beijing to stimulate the world’s No. 2 economy.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.6 percent to 8,962.21. South Korea’s Kospi fell 1 percent to 1,984.04. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.7 percent to 20,864.11. Australia’s S&P ASX/200 lost 0.8 percent at 4,256.30.

Investor sentiment hit a hurdle after China released data showing consumer prices had risen 4.5 percent in January over a year earlier, up from the previous month’s 4.1 percent. Food prices jumped 10.5 percent, accelerating sharply from December’s 9.1 percent rise and driven by 25 percent gain in the cost of pork, the staple meat in China.

The People’s Bank of China eased lending curbs in December to promote growth in the slowing economy. But the unexpected jump in the cost of living could make the central bank wary of carrying out further steps to loosen credit.

Wall Street staged an afternoon-long rally and closed higher Wednesday as Greece appeared to close in on the cost-cutting deal it needs to keep from defaulting on its national debt.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose marginally to close at 12,883.95. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 0.2 percent to 1,349.96. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.4 percent to 2,915.86.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 3 cents to $98.74 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 30 cents to end at $98.71 per barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currency trading, the euro fell to $1.3255 from $1.3288 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar rose to 77.15 yen from 77.01 yen.

GREECE LIGHTENING: Greece still hasn’t finalized a deal to cut what it owes bondholders, get a bailout and avoid defaulting on its debt next month. But investors seemed glad that an agreement appeared near.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Dow Jones industrial average rose six points to 12,884. The S&P 500 rose three to 1,350. The Nasdaq composite rose 12 to 2,916.

TAKING A GAMBLE: Casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corp. went public on Wednesday, and investors came to the table in packs. Shares shot up 71 percent to $15.39 after Caesars priced them at $9 Tuesday evening.

NEW YORK – Stocks staged an afternoon-long rally and closed higher Wednesday as Greece appeared to close in on the cost-cutting deal it needs to keep from defaulting on its national debt.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 5.75 points to close at 12,883.95 after falling as much as 60 points at midday. It was the Dow’s highest close since May 19, 2008, the last time it finished above 13,000.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index edged up 2.91 points to 1,346.96. The Nasdaq composite rose 11.78 points to 2,915.86, its highest close since December 2000.

After three days of delays, Greek government leaders met in Athens to go over a deal on steep cuts in public spending demanded by the country’s lenders. European leaders will meet Thursday in Brussels to discuss a euro130 billion bailout for Greece.

Investors are worried that Greece will default on its debt next month, which could roil financial markets and cause major losses for banks and other investors that hold Greek debt. Several deadlines have passed without an agreement.

Stock trading has been relatively quiet this week after a slow but steady rise since the beginning of the year. The Dow has added 2 percent in February and is up 5.5 percent for the year.

Rick Fier, vice president of stock trading at Conifer Securities in New York, said he wasn’t that worried that the market’s advance has slowed this week. The S&P 500 is still up 7.3 percent for the year, and has fallen on only eight days in 2012.

Fier said he is concerned that the batch of earnings reports from U.S. companies for the last three months of last year “hasn’t been as robust” as previous quarters. Revenue growth has slowed even though profits have been strong, he said.

Walt Disney reported earnings Tuesday that beat analysts’ estimates, but its revenue growth fell short. Movie revenue fell as Disney released fewer big films in the quarter than in previous years. Revenue from DVD sales and interactive media also declined. Disney’s stock rose 0.7 percent nevertheless.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., the big casino operator, soared on its first day of trading. Caesars went as high as $17.90, nearly double its offering price of $9 per share. It finished at $15.39, up 71 percent, but lost some of the gains in after-hours trading.

Caesars raised $16 million, a sliver of the more than $500 million its private owners hoped for when they first tried to go public in late 2010.

Ralph Lauren rose 9 percent after reporting higher net income and revenue in the latest quarter, a sign that wealthy customers are still spending even as the economy struggles with high unemployment. The purveyor of $1,000 dresses and handbags said holiday sales had been strong.

Buffalo Wild Wings, a chicken-and-beer chain that has bucked the trend of weak revenue dogging many of its competitors, shot up 17 percent after reporting income and revenue that easily beat analysts’ estimates.

Sprint Nextel, the phone company, fell 2 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter loss. It added subscribers but had to pay dearly for them. Sprint started offering customers iPhones, but it had to subsidize them so customers could buy them for as little as $99.

OpenTable, which lets people book tables at restaurants online, plunged 12 percent. Investors had reservations about the company’s cautious outlook. Executives said they expect the growth to slow this quarter in the number of diners it seats.

In other markets, Treasury prices were mostly flat, like stocks. The yield on the U.S. government’s 10-year note was unchanged at 1.98 percent. The price of oil rose 0.3 percent to $98.71, and gold fell 1 percent to $1,736.20.

NEW YORK – Stocks were mixed Wednesday afternoon as questions mounted over whether Greece will hammer out a cost-cutting deal it needs to keep from defaulting on its debt.

After climbing in early trading, the Dow was down 15 points to 12,863 at 1 p.m. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell less than a point to 1,347. The Nasdaq composite edged up 2 to 2,906.

Ralph Lauren rose 10 percent after beating analysts’ estimates for quarterly earnings, a sign that wealthy customers are still spending even as the economy struggles with high unemployment. Whole Foods, another company aimed at wealthier shoppers, rose 2 percent. Buffalo Wild Wings shot up 14 percent after reporting income and revenue that easily beat analysts’ estimates.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., a major casino operator, shot up 76 percent to $15.80, from its original pricing of $9 on its first day as a public company. That was a sign of confidence for a company that tried to go public in late 2010 but nixed the plan after a couple of weeks, blaming market conditions.

Rick Fier, vice president of equity trading at Conifer Securities in New York, cautioned that even though many companies are turning in strong earnings, overall revenue growth appears to be slowing. That “gives us cause for concern,” Fier said.

Sprint Nextel Corp. fell 2 percent after the phone company reported a fourth-quarter loss. While Sprint added subscribers, it had to pay dearly for them. Sprint started offering customers iPhones, but it had to subsidize the cost so customers could buy them for as little as $99.

OpenTable, which lets people make dinner reservations online, fell 11 percent. Though the company beat analysts’ predictions for fourth-quarter earnings, it also issued a cautious forecast for the current quarter.

Investors are still worried about the possibility that Greece could default on its debt next month. Greece’s leaders are having trouble agreeing on new cost-cutting measures being demanded by the country’s lenders. A series of deadlines have already passed without agreement being reached.

Even if a deal is reached, bondholders will almost certainly be forced to take giant write-downs, which could cripple future demand for Greek government debt. Greece will likely have to cut more from its bloated expenses, which won’t go over well in a country already protesting that cuts have been too severe.

BANGKOK – Asian stocks rose Wednesday as Japan’s powerhouse exporters got a boost from hopes of new moves to weaken the yen while a deal appeared within reach between Greece and its creditors to cut the country’s massive debt load.

Benchmark oil approached $99 per barrel while the dollar was virtually flat against the euro but higher against the yen.

The Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo was 0.8 percent higher to 8,990.58 after briefly hitting 9,012.17, a three-month intraday high. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.9 percent to 1,999.80 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.6 percent to 20,822.06. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4 percent to 4,290.70.

Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, New Zealand, India and mainland China also rose.

Greece has been kept solvent for the last two years by euro110 billion ($145 billion) in international rescue loans. But the money was not enough and a second loan is urgently needed to avert bankruptcy.

International lenders, however, have refused to approve more aid unless Greece learns to live within its means and implements a strict austerity program. Without an injection of emergency money — some euro130 billion ($170 billion) is on the line — Greece will likely default on bond repayments due next month.

“People are hopeful there will be some resolution on Greece. Nothing dramatic is happening, but generally people are more confident that we will get a resolution on Greece and they will remain in the euro in the short-term,” said Andrew Sullivan, principal sales trader at Piper Jaffray in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. jumped 4.2 percent, a day after Japan’s top automaker raised its annual earnings forecast, saying a recovery is on track. A weaker yen helped other export-dependent stocks. Yamaha Motor Co. surged 4.2 percent and Mazda Motor Corp. soared 6.6 percent. Panasonic Corp. added 2.5 percent.

Earnings of many Japanese brand name companies have been battered in recent months by the yen’s strength against the dollar and the euro, which erodes foreign income when repatriated to Japan.

But the yen fell Wednesday, a day after Japan’s Finance Ministry released data showing that the country had conducted unannounced yen-selling interventions in early November, Kyodo News reported. Still, the yen remains significantly stronger than it was a year ago.

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, shed 0.4 percent after announcing a 5.5 percent drop in first-half profit. The Anglo-Australian company blamed the results on lower commodity prices as well as production constraints.

Australian mining companies’ burgeoning profits have prompted the government to introduce a new tax on iron ore and coal revenue starting in July.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.3 percent to close at 12,878.20. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.2 percent to 1,347.05. The Nasdaq composite rose marginally to 2,904.08 — about a point shy of its best close since December 2000.

A report that job openings soared to the highest level in almost three years in December also helped the U.S. market. The government reported Friday that the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in January, the lowest in almost three years.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 44 cents to $98.85 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.50 to $98.41 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro slipped to $1.3246 from $1.3248 late Tuesday in New York. But the dollar rose to 77.06 yen from 76.78 yen.

BANGKOK – Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher on Wednesday as Greece appeared close to a deal with creditors to cut its massive debts and avoid a chaotic bankruptcy.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.6 percent to 8,975.65. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1 percent to 2,000.24 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.6 percent to 20,821.06. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 percent to 4,281.40.

Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan and mainland China rose, while Indonesia’s fell.

Greece has been kept solvent for the last two years by euro110 billion ($145 billion) in international rescue loans. But the money was not enough and a second loan is urgently needed to avert bankruptcy.

International lenders, however, have refused to approve more aid unless Greece learns to live within its means and implements a strict austerity program. Without an injection of emergency money — some euro130 billion ($170 billion) is on the line — Greece will likely default on bond repayments due next month.

“Optimism about finalizing the prolonged Greek debts deal boosted sentiment overnight as Greek officials said that the final draft of agreement between the Greek government and international creditors is in progress,” analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in an email.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. jumped 3.5 percent, a day after Japan’s top automaker raised its annual earnings forecast, saying a recovery is on track. Yamaha Motor Co. surged 4.3 percent and Mazda Motor Corp. soared 5.1 percent.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.3 percent to close at 12,878.20. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.2 percent to 1,347.05. The Nasdaq composite rose marginally to 2,904.08 — about a point shy of its best close since December 2000.

A report that job openings soared to the highest level in almost three years in December also helped the U.S. market. The government reported Friday that the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in January, the lowest in almost three years.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 43 cents to $98.84 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.50 to $98.41 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currency trading, the euro slipped to $1.3246 from $1.3248 late Tuesday in New York. But the dollar rose to 76.93 yen from 76.78 yen.

NEW YORK – Stocks fell in morning trading Tuesday as investors once again turned their eyes to Greece, where talks dragged on over terms of new spending cuts.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 44 points to 12,800 shortly after 10 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gave up 5 points to 1,339. The Nasdaq composite fell 10 points to 2,891.

Investors are monitoring talks in Athens over new cost-cutting measures being demanded by Greece’s lenders. They’re worried that the measures may not get passed in time to release the latest installment of emergency loans for the struggling country.

Markets in Europe and Asia also fell.

In the U.S., these stocks were among those making big moves:

• Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell and KFC, jumped 4 percent. The company’s income surged 30 percent in the fourth quarter on strong growth overseas and a turnaround in its Pizza Hut business in the U.S.

• Emerson Electric Co. lost 4 percent after the manufacturing and technology company said its first-quarter net income fell 23 percent as costs rose and sales took a hit from flooding in Thailand.

• Becton, Dickinson & Co., a medical technology company, fell 4 percent. The company’s income fell 17 percent in the latest quarter on higher costs for raw materials and other expenses. The company also cut its 2012 earnings forecast.

LONDON – Stocks were trading lower on Tuesday as talks dragged on in Greece to agree the terms of a second bailout — and avoid looming bankruptcy — despite intense pressure from the country’s euro partners.

With much of Greece coming to a standstill due to a general strike called against impending cutbacks, markets will be monitoring political leaders’ talks in Athens. Heads of the three parties backing the interim government will try to thrash out a deal on new austerity measures needed to get vital bailout cash.

They will confer with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos on new income cuts and job losses, which Greece’s eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund are demanding to keep the country’s rescue loans flowing. With a general election scheduled to take place within a few months, political leaders are fretting about the impact on their fortunes of signing up to a deal that imposes more hardship on Greece’s population.

“No one in Greece wants to be seen to be tightening the austerity noose even tighter for fear of being punished at the polls,” said Michael Hewson, markets analyst at CMC Markets.

Athens must placate its creditors to clinch a euro130 billion ($170 billion) bailout deal from the eurozone and the IMF and avoid a March default on its bond repayments.

Without an injection of emergency money, Greece will likely default on its bond repayments on March 20 — an event that could shake European banks and other private lenders with Greek debt on their books.

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have warned Greek leaders that they need to push through the austerity measures or risk letting the country go bankrupt.

Even though another round of deadlines have passed, the prevailing mood in the markets is that Greece will get a debt-reduction deal with its private creditors as well as the second bailout.

“It is difficult to say how this will play out in the short term but the most likely outcome remains that some kind of agreement will be stitched together because the alternative is so dark for all parties,” said Gary Jenkins, managing director at Swordfish Research.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.2 percent at 5,878 while Germany’s DAX fell 0.5 percent to 6,731. The CAC-40 in France was 0.3 percent lower at 3,395.

Wall Street was also poised for a subdued opening, with Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures broadly unchanged at 12,773 and 1,338.

The euro was little changed against the dollar at $1.3130 while oil prices were a tad lower — the benchmark New York rate was 25 cents down at $96.66 a barrel.

European corporate news was more upbeat, not least the confirmation that mining company Xstrata PLC and commodities dealer Glencore International PLC agreed a $90 billion merger that will create the world’s fourth largest natural resources company. The announcement of the terms of the deal comes just a few days after the revelation that the two companies were in discussions about a long-mooted tie-up.

Xstrata shares were down nearly 2 percent as investors had hoped the premium would be a little higher than the 15.2 percent that’s on offer.

BP PLC shares were flat even after it raised its quarterly dividend by 14 percent after posting double-digit gains in profit and revenue in the last three months of 2011 despite further big payments to compensate for a disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Steel maker ArcelorMittal SA was faring better after voicing some cautious optimism about its near-term _prospects even after it reported a heavy fourth quarter loss generated by a deteriorating European economy and big tax and restructuring charges.

Earlier in Asia, the mood in the markets was subdued.

In mainland China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.7 percent to 2,291.90 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.7 percent to 869.87. Japan’s Nikkei index fell 0.1 percent to 8,917.52 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped the same rate to 20,699.19.

BANGKOK – Asian stock markets fell Tuesday as talks dragged on to resolve a massive debt mess in Greece before it explodes into a wider financial crisis.

Benchmark oil hovered below $97 per barrel while the dollar rose against the euro and the yen.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4 percent to 8,891.37. South Korea’s Kospi rose marginally to 1,973.63 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was 0.2 percent lower at 20,677.11. Benchmarks in Singapore and Malaysia rose while Indonesia and mainland China fell.

Greek political leaders have been haggling over the details of a cost-cutting package required for the country to get more urgently needed loans from international lenders. Some euro130 billion ($170 billion) in bailout money is on the line.

Without an injection of emergency money, Greece will likely default on its bond repayments on March 20 — an event that could shake European banks and other private lenders with Greek debt on their books.

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have warned Greek leaders that they need to push through the austerity measures or risk letting the country go bankrupt.

“The market is losing patience and the EU actually is losing patience on Greece’s procrastination,” said Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong, explaining why the market is stalled. “If and when Greece capitulates, I think we can see the market rising further.”

Talks on the Greek austerity package were postponed to Tuesday. Separately, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos was meeting with the country’s creditors late Monday. Greece wants its creditors to swap their Greek government bonds for new ones that are worth 50 percent less. Before that can happen, however, Greece needs its emergency bailout to use as a cash payment in the bond swap.

Lee Kok Joo, head of research at Phillip Securities in Singapore, said economic data showing a markedly improved employment picture in the U.S. and a likely “soft landing” for China’s slowing economy — rather than a plunge — are supporting stock markets, despite the threat of a Greek default.

“If that does happen eventually, I do not think the impact on the market will be very severe,” he said. “The market will still be supported by overall macro outlook.”

Chinese property and construction shares were battered a day after the International Monetary Fund warned that a sharp downturn in Europe could cut China’s economic growth rate nearly in half.

Hong Kong-listed Poly Real Estate Group Co. lost 4.1 percent. China Resources Cement Holdings dropped 3.4 percent. China State Construction Engineering shed 2 percent.

Falling gold prices hurt shares linked to the precious metal. Australian gold miner Newcrest Mining lost 1.3 percent. Hong Kong-listed Zijin Mining Co., China’s biggest gold miner, tumbled 3.5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell or 0.1 percent to close at 12,845.13 on Friday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped marginally to 1,344.33. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 percent to 2,901.99.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 4 cents to $96.97 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 93 cents to finish at $96.91 per barrel on the Nymex on Monday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3098 from $1.3125 late Monday in New York. The dollar rose to 76.67 yen from 76.59 yen.