GLOBAL MARKETS - Stocks Inch Lower as Semiconductor Shares Ease; Yen Up vs Dollar

GLOBAL MARKET - NEW YORK. Global stock indexes edged lower in choppy trading Thursday as Micron Technology shares fell and weighed on semiconductors, while the Japanese yen strengthened slightly against the U.S. dollar.

U.S. Treasury yields declined slightly after a series of U.S. economic reports, which mostly suggested ebbing economic momentum, supporting the view the Federal Reserve could soon begin cutting interest rates.