Brent Crude Surpasses $100 as Global Stocks Slide Amid Middle East Tensions

Global stock markets were mostly lower on Wednesday as investors watched for signs of interest rate changes and the price of Brent crude oil surpassed $100 a barrel due to increased fighting in the Middle East.

The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 2.5% to $100.39 a barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude gained 1.9% to $94.85 a barrel.

France's CAC 40 fell 1.1%, Germany's DAX declined 0.9%, and Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.5%. The future for the S&P 500 was nearly unchanged, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.2%.

Economists expect U.S. consumer inflation to have eased slightly to 3.3% from July's 3.4%, which is still above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. The Fed meets next week to decide on interest rates, and a closely watched report on inflation will be released on Friday.