Global markets close mixed; Dow at all-time high

The US equity markets closed marginally higher on the back of better-than-expected retail sales data while European markets finished mixed.

Retail sales rose by 1.1 percent month-on-month in February while January retail sales revised upwards to 0.2 percent.

US business inventories went up 1 percent MoM in January.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 5.22 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 14,455.28, another record closing high. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 2.04 points to 1,554.52 while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 2.80 points to end at 3,245.12.

US President Barack Obama met House Republicans on tax hikes. The deadlock on tax hikes remains.

Eurozone data

Industrial production for January fell 0.4 percent MoM. Capital goods output dropped 1.2 percent MoM while consumer goods slipped 1.4 percent MoM.

French non-farm payrolls decreased 0.3 percent QoQ in the December quarter.

Meanwhile, Italy managed to raise targeted euro 7 billion. Italian yields rose by 18 basis points since last auction.

France's CAC was down 0.1 percent and Britain's FTSE fell 0.45 percent while Germany's DAX gained 0.06 percent.

Watch out for following data today:
-China FDI
-Eurozone Q4 Employment
-US PPI
-US Initial Jobless Claims
-US Current account balance
-Fed Capital Analysis and Review