03:57 PM EDT, 03/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes ended mixed Wednesday after inflation eased more than forecast and President Donald Trump's 25% tariff on aluminum and steel imports became effective.

* The US consumer price index increased 0.2% sequentially and 2.8% annually last month. A Bloomberg-complied consensus had pegged the growth rates at 0.3% and 2.9%, respectively.

"This was a well-behaved CPI inflation report that will raise expectations for an even tamer core (personal consumption expenditures) inflation print later this month," BMO said. "This will calm market fears that consumer inflation is meaningfully heating up again and getting away from the (Federal Reserve's) goal even before new tariffs on goods imports hit."

* The Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminum, including on the UK. As a result, some allies, including the European Union, have announced reciprocal tariffs on the US, a Stifel note said. The retaliatory duties on $28 billion of US goods will take effect April 1, and additional countermeasures will be introduced by mid-April.

* April West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $1.40 to settle at $67.65 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.37 to $70.93 following a report showing U.S. inventories rose less than expected last week.

* Salesforce ( CRM ) said it plans to invest $1 billion in Singapore over the next five years to accelerate the country's digital transformation and the adoption of its new artificial intelligence platform, Agentforce. The company's shares rose nearly 3%

* United Airlines (UAL) was down nearly 5%, as BofA Securities, TD Cowen, and Barclays trimmed their price targets on the carrier's stock.