Major European Markets Close On Firm Note

The major European markets closed on the positive side on Wednesday even as several markets in the region failed to hold early gains. The early buoyancy over upbeat earnings update from Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML subsided a bit later on in the session.

Additionally, U.S. inflation data increased the possibility of a Fed rate hike at the upcoming meeting.

While the report from the Labor Department showed consumer prices grew in line with estimates, it also showed a bigger than expected increase in core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices.