U.S. stock indexes held firmer and finished mixed a day after strong reports on the economy stirred up worries that inflation and interest rates may remain higher than expected.

Asian stocks largely lower on Thursday after U.S. stocks had a volatile trading session and ended mixed. Equities slumped after economic reports on labor market and services sector. Chinese shares were mixed.

U.S. stocks ended little changed on Wednesday in a session they struggled for a clear direction, as investors digested the impact of two conflicting sets of jobs data and a report that said President-elect Donald Trump was mulling a national economic emergency declaration on inflation.