Stocks mixed as US inflation stays muted, Japan's trade deficit widens

Stocks were mixed on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.7 percent but the STOXX Europe 600 rose 0.7 percent.

Helping to boost markets on Wednesday were continued reports of the European Central Bank buying bonds, this time Spanish covered bonds, after reportedly having bought French and Portuguese securities earlier this week.

The Federal Reserve may also be able to continue to support markets with monetary stimulus after US consumer prices rose just 0.1 percent in September.

Meanwhile, though, the Bank of Japan's monetary policy has apparently helped push down the yen without helping Japan's trade balance. Japan's trade deficit rose 1.6 percent in September from the previous year. While exports rose 6.9 percent, imports also rose by 6.2 percent.