European stocks ended mixed on Tuesday as the euro softened a second straight session following Germany's general election on Sunday and as traders got the first opportunity to react to the latest threat of armed conflict in the Korean Peninsula. The Stoxx Europe 600 index SXXP, +0.03% ended marginally higher at 384.03, after swinging between small gains and losses throughout the day.

Asian stock indexes were little changed on Wednesday as investors shrugged off comments from Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen about the prospect of higher interest rates. Regional markets reflected Wall Street with the major U.S. indexes finishing essentially flat overnight.

U.S. stock-market indexes relinquished earlier gains to close little changed on Tuesday, with the Dow industrials extending a losing streak to a fourth session. Investors appeared to shrug off comments from Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, who cautioned against moving too slowly on interest rates. Yellen said there is a risk that the labor market could become overheated, causing an inflation problem down the road.