Markets sluggish despite seeming US budget deal

LONDON (AP) — Financial markets were sluggish Wednesday as an apparent budget deal in the U.S. Congress failed to divert attention from investors’ primary focus — will the Federal Reserve reduce its monthly stimulus next week?

As the Fed’s policy meeting nears, investors appear to be holding off big trading decisions. That has left markets drifting, even though Congress looks set to agree on a modest U.S. budget agreement that restores about $63 billion in across-the-board automatic spending cuts.