World stocks Slipped to one-month low Ahead of Fed Meeting

Global stock markets closed mostly lower Tuesday September 16, 2014 as investors played it safe in preparation for the Fed Meeting. U.S. central bank may raise interest rates sooner than previously expected

Germany's DAX fell 0.3 percent to 9,620.59 and France's CAC-40 declined 0.5 percent to 4,404.69. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.2 percent to 6,791.57. Wall Street appeared set for more losses. Standard & Poor's 500 futures were down 0.1 percent and Dow futures fell 0.2 percent.

The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS, which tracks shares in 45 countries, was down 0.2 percent after hitting its lowest level since mid-August earlier in the session. In Europe, the benchmark FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 was down 0.4 percent.

Asian shares also slipped. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS shed 0.7 percent to its lowest since late June, while Japan's Nikkei .N225 snapped a five-session winning streak to close down 0.2 percent.

The euro held steady at $1.2937 EUR=, hemmed in a $1.2859-$1.2980 range after a sell-off sparked by the European Central Bank's interest rate cut early this month faded.

The British pound has turned volatile in recent weeks as opinion polls narrowed ahead of Thursday's independence referendum in Scotland, which could spark a sizeable panic in U.K. markets. On Monday, the pound was 0.2 percent lower at $1.6231.