Global markets finished mixed with little news to guide trade, and the Australian dollar has retreated from yesterday’s gains and hit a five-month low.

The Dow Jones edged down 19 points to 17,049, and the S&P 500 finished 2 points higher at 1,997.

Early gains on Wall Street were erased as geopolitical tensions escalated and investors speculated on the timing of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases.

Data revealed US weekly unemployment claims picked up slightly to 315,000 in the first week of September, but that related to the Labor Day holiday, so the market mostly looked through it.

Across the Atlantic, markets went backwards.

Weighing on trade were Chinese inflation figures that eased to a four-month low in August, suggesting a slowing of the economy.

London’s FTSE 100 lost 0.5 per cent to 6,800 and the EuroStoxx retreated 0.1 per cent to 344.

National Australia Bank is the latest financial institution to say it will move its Glasgow-based Clydesdale Bank to England if Scotland votes for independence at next week’s referendum.

It follows the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and insurance giant Standard Life who all say they too will move to London.

The Australian share market was expected to see a weak start to trade; at 8:30am (AEST) the ASX SPI 200 was just 0.1 per cent higher at 5,552.

The Australian dollar hit a six-month low overnight, dipping below 91 US cents as gains it made yesterday on the extremely strong employment report were unwound as markets treated the data with some scepticism.

It was worth 91.01 US cents.

On commodity markets, spot gold eased to $US1,240.69 an ounce and the iron ore price dropped again down to $US81.90 a tonne.

Oil prices picked up, West Texas crude oil closed at $US92.84 a barrel.