{Economic Daily News, 14th Special Report} US stocks closed lower yesterday, dragged down by a sell-off in memory chip stocks and mixed earnings from major banks, which weighed on the broader market. Investors are also awaiting the release of US September inflation data to assess the Federal Reserve's future interest rate path. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 180.45 points, or 0.35%, at 51,670.1; the S&P 500 fell 1.79 points, or 0.02%, to 7,805.45; the Nasdaq Composite dropped 41.52 points, or 0.15%, to 27,204.38. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed at 24,314, down 31 points or 0.1%, with turnover of HK$193.5 billion.

　　Regarding major economic events around the world, at 12:15am HKT on the 15th, ECB Executive Board member Schnabel will deliver a speech. At 1:30am, Richmond Federal Reserve President Barkin will participate in a fireside chat. At 2:00am, the Federal Reserve will release its Beige Book report on economic conditions.

　　On the data front, at 8:30pm tonight, the US will release September Consumer Price Index (CPI). The month-on-month increase is expected to widen from 0.4% to 0.6%, while the year-on-year rise is forecast to expand from 3.4% to 3.6%. The year-on-year increase in core CPI is expected to rise from 2.4% to 2.5%.

　　In the US, companies reporting earnings today include ASML (US.ASML) and Bank of America (US.BAC). (wa)