China's curbs on bank lending weigh on markets

European stock markets and Wall Street futures held steady Wednesday though China's moves to curb bank lending stoked concerns that further monetary tightening may slow down economic recovery in Asia.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 8.09 points, or 0.2 percent, at 5,490.62 while France's CAC-40 rose 1.69 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 4,001.74. Germanys DAX, which fell more than its European counterparts on Tuesday, was up 19.32 points, or 0.3 percent, at 5,962.32.

A fairly subdued opening is expected for Wall Street _ Dow futures were up 13 points, or 0.1 percent, at 10,601 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 …