US equity markets settled modestly weaker as investors parsed the latest inflation figures - Dow fell -157-points or -0.46%, Boeing Co (up +1.30%) The broader S&P500 dipped -0.03%, with Real Estate (down -1.04%) and Consumer Staples (-0.93%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. Consumer Discretionary (up +1.18%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. Ford Motor Co (down -0.92%) flagged plans to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe over the next three years as it looks to lower costs and improve profitability while shifting production toward electric vehicles. The company also temporarily halted production and delivery of its electric pickup truck due to a battery problem. Occidental Petroleum Corp rose +2.44% after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (up +2.44%) disclosed that it increased its stake in the oil and gas company to 28.0% from 21.4%. Berkshire Hathaway also increased its stake in Apple Inc (down -0.42%) during the fourth quarter to 5.8%, according to the latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) The Nasdaq added +0.57%, recouping earlier session declines. Tesla Inc rallied +7.51% and chipmaker Nvidia Corp +5.43%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 slipped -0.06%.
