European stocks marched higher Tuesday, with the DAX 30 ending at a record after German trade data exceeding expectations. Investors also appeared in the mood to take on more risk in the wake of France's presidential election.

Stocks closed near session lows Tuesday as the Dow industrials and S&P 500 finished lower and the tech-heavy Nasdaq carved out a new record while investors sifted through mostly upbeat earnings reports against a backdrop of falling oil prices and remarks from Federal Reserve speakers.

China's consumer inflation accelerated in April, as higher non-food prices helped outweigh continued falls in food prices, official data showed Wednesday. China's consumer price index increased 1.2% in April from a year earlier, compared with a 0.9% gain in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said.