Global Stocks Drop as China Reports Slow Inflation, Slowdown Worries

Fears of a Chinese slowdown are back on the front burner again. This time its inflation, or a lack of it, that is causing concerns about the world's second biggest economy. Consumer inflation in China cooled more than expected last month. The low inflation numbers has raised hopes that Chinese policymakers will increase economic stimulus. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has missed on its earnings expectations. Revenue declined in all of its business classes more than expected. The bank's best performing division was its consumer bank, while overall revenue was down slightly in the division, it has been generating more loans. Intel's (INTC) revenue was flat for the quarter. Earnings actually came in better than expected but were still lower than a year ago. A bright spot were sales from Intel's data center group, which include semiconductors used in data servers and for cloud computing. Retail Sales for September are expected to show a rise due to strong auto sales. The Federal Reserve issues its 'Beige Book' survey of regional economic conditions. Walmart (WMT) is hosting its annual meeting for investors.