Stocks close higher, snap 2-day losing streak as Wall Street shakes off Fed minutes; European markets close higher on inflation data boost; Stoxx 600 up over 1.4% 
The Dow closed higher Wednesday, after swinging between gains and losses as investors digested the Federal Reserve December meeting minutes signaling higher for longer rates and data showing a tight labor market that stoked fears of a wage-driven pick-up in inflation. 
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.4%, or 133 points, the Nasdaq Composite was 0.69% higher, while the S&P 500 closed 0.74% higher. 
Fed members favored a "restrictive policy stance for a sustained period," until inflation was on a sustained downward path to 2 percent, which was likely to take "some time," the Fed's December meeting minutes showed Wednesday. 
The minutes stoked fears of higher for longer rates just as data highlighted a slower-than-expected dent in labor demand. The U.S. Labor Department's latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTs) report, a measure of labor demand, showed job openings in November fell less than expected to about 10.5 million, compared with expectations of 10.0 million. 

The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up 1.4%, with retail stocks adding 3.3% to lead gains as most sectors and major bourses ended in positive territory. Oil and gas stocks, however, fell 3.1%. 
Inflation in France slowed to 6.7% in December from a record high of 7.1% the previous month, preliminary figures published Wednesday morning showed. 
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast year-on-year harmonized inflation, which is adjusted for comparisons across the euro area, to come in at 7.2%. 
Source: CNBC, Investing.com