MILANO – Uncertain futures on western markets, after the fluctuating day in Asia: indications for opening in Europe are mixed while futures on Wall Street are negative. Investors’ attention is focused today on reading the applications for unemployment benefits in the US, while the underlying dynamics remain the same as in the last few sessions. On the one hand, in fact, the Omicron variant is worrying, which has led to some corrections of the indices in the last few days; on the other hand, there are signs of the recovery strength and the growing certainty that vaccines are an effective shield against the new mutation of the virus. In the background remain the central banks and the expectation for their withdrawal from their massive presence on the market. On the markets, in fact, caution prevails in view of the data on US inflation which will be released tomorrow. Investors’ attention is paid to the meeting of the Federal Reserve that next week could already provide indications on the timing of the interest rate hike.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange ends trading in negative, with investors triggering profit-taking after recent hikes, and awaiting further developments from containment measures of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus globally. The Nikkei benchmark index shows a negative change of 0.47% at 28,725.47, and a loss of 135 points. On the exchange rate front, the yen depreciated slightly against the dollar, at 113.70, and against the euro to a level of 128.70. The Hang Seng index of Hong Kong is up by 0.94% while Shanghai earn over 1% e Alone advances by 0.87%.
Among the macro data of the day it is noted that i consumer prices in China they grew 2.3% in November, on an annual basis, below an expectation of + 2.5%, but up from + 1.5% in October.
L’euro opens slightly above $ 1.13. The single currency changes hands at 1.1333 dollars and at 128.79 yen. Dollar / yen at 113.63.
Prices of Petroleum up on the Asian markets. WTI crude oil futures gained 0.95% to $ 73.06 a barrel while Brent crude futures rose 0.69% to $ 76.34 a barrel. Concern has eased in the market that the Omicron coronavirus variant could have a severe effect on global economic growth and fuel demand.
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