Europe's debt woes hobble markets

U.S. markets turned lower Wednesday as the consumer price index showing muted gains in October could not ease fears of debt contagion in Europe. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said consumer prices rose 0.1 percent from September to October and 3.1 percent from October 2010. Core prices -- prices excluding the volatile categories of energy and food -- on an annual basis rose 2.1 percent. Investors, however, remain concerned about government debt issues in Europe, with the focus recently switching from Greece to Italy. In midmorning trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 114.05 points, 0.94 percent, to 11,982.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 9.50 points, 0.76 percent, to 1,248.31. The Nasdaq composite index lost 19.31 points, 0.72 percent, to 2,666.89. The benchmark 10-year treasury note rose 9/32 to yield 2.017 percent. The euro fell to $1.3504 from Tuesday's $1.3541. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 77 yen from Tuesday's 77.03 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index lost 0.92 percent, 78.77, to 8,463.16.