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Banks, mining stocks lift UK shares as lockdown begins to ease
Published at 08/03/2021 at 17:03 -
Banks boost European stocks as recovery hopes grow
Published at 08/03/2021 at 16:58 -
Oil, travel stocks boost European shares
Published at 08/03/2021 at 08:25 -
Miners, energy stocks lift UK shares as lockdown begins to ease
Published at 08/03/2021 at 08:14 -
UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 8
Published at 08/03/2021 at 07:46 -
REFILE-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 8
Published at 08/03/2021 at 07:45 -
FTSE 100 falls as high yields weigh, but marks best week in 2 months
Published at 05/03/2021 at 17:13 -
European stocks pressured by yields, but mark weekly gains on firm cyclicals
Published at 05/03/2021 at 17:12 -
Powell disappointment hits European stocks, tech slides again
Published at 05/03/2021 at 08:28 -
UK shares fall as higher bond yields weigh
Published at 05/03/2021 at 08:13
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FOREX-Dollar hits 3-1/2 month high on firmer U.S. yields
Published at 08/03/2021 at 16:01 -
FOREX-Dollar perched at 3-1/2 month highs on firmer U.S. yields
Published at 08/03/2021 at 11:58 -
FOREX-Dollar stands tall as U.S. yields resume climb
Published at 08/03/2021 at 07:52 -
FOREX-Dollar hovers near three-month high as bonds sell off; risk currencies pare gains
Published at 08/03/2021 at 05:17 -
FOREX-Dollar falls against commodity currencies but holds gains versus yen
Published at 08/03/2021 at 00:50 -
FOREX-Dollar jumps as U.S. jobs growth beats expectations
Published at 05/03/2021 at 19:57 -
FOREX-Dollar jumps as U.S. jobs growth beats expectations
Published at 05/03/2021 at 15:02 -
FOREX-Dollar gains across the board as Powell sticks to script
Published at 05/03/2021 at 12:08 -
FOREX-Dollar gains across the board as Powell sticks to script
Published at 05/03/2021 at 09:47 -
FOREX-Dollar ascendant as Powell sticks to script; risk currencies slide
Published at 05/03/2021 at 04:50
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PRECIOUS-Gold slumps to 9-month trough as yields, dollar rally continues
Published at 08/03/2021 at 19:09 -
Oil slips after hitting pandemic high above $70/bbl after Saudi attack
Published at 08/03/2021 at 17:57 -
US STOCKS-S&P 500, Dow advance as stimulus bill gets Senate nod
Published at 08/03/2021 at 17:16 -
Banks, mining stocks lift UK shares as lockdown begins to ease
Published at 08/03/2021 at 17:03 -
Banks boost European stocks as recovery hopes grow
Published at 08/03/2021 at 16:58 -
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks climb as yields pull back from earlier high
Published at 08/03/2021 at 16:15 -
US STOCKS-Wall St rises as tech selloff eases; U.S. Senate passes stimulus bill
Published at 08/03/2021 at 15:52 -
US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Nasdaq drops at open as U.S. stimulus fuels inflation jitters
Published at 08/03/2021 at 14:36 -
US STOCKS-Nasdaq set for sharp drop at open as U.S. stimulus fuels inflation jitters
Published at 08/03/2021 at 14:05 -
PRECIOUS-Gold falls 1% as elevated U.S. yields, strong dollar dull appeal
Published at 08/03/2021 at 13:49
GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares under pressure on rising coronavirus cases
* Asian stock markets :
By Swati Pandey
SYDNEY, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Asian shares were on the defensive on Monday as rising COVID-19 cases and doubts over the ability of vaccine makers to supply the promised doses on time soured risk appetite.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
was barely changed at 718.72.
The benchmark is below the record high of 727.31 touched last week but up 8.5% so far in January, on track for its fourth straight monthly rise.
Japan's Nikkei fell 0.1%.
Australian shares were higher after the country's drug regulator approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine with authorities saying a phased rollout will begin late next month.
Global COVID-19 cases are inching towards 100 million with more than 2 million dead, though financial markets have been buoyant on hopes of a vaccine and a quick economic revival.
However, "there was one negative COVID-19 news story after another on Friday and which equity investors ultimately couldn’t ignore," said Ray Attrill, head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank.
Hong Kong locked down an area of the Kowloon peninsula on Saturday, the first such measure the city has taken since the pandemic began while some countries including Mexico recorded their highest daily case numbers.
Reports the new UK COVID variant was not only highly infectious but perhaps more deadly than the original strain also added to worries.
In the European Union, political leaders expressed widespread dismay over a hold-up by AstraZeneca and Pfizer Inc in delivering promised doses, with Italy's prime minister lashing out at the vaccine suppliers, saying delays amounted to a serious breach of contractual obligations.
Pfizer, last week, said it was temporarily slowing supplies to Europe to make manufacturing changes that would boost output. On Friday, AstraZeneca said that initial deliveries to the region will fall short because of a production glitch.
Investors did see some hope in the United States after lawmakers agreed on Sunday that the most important priority should be producing and efficiently distributing a vaccine.
The Democrats and Republicans are discussing a new $1.9 trillion in U.S. coronavirus relief.
Financial markets have been eyeing a massive U.S. economic stimulus though disagreements have meant months of indecision in a country suffering more than 175,000 COVID-19 cases a day with millions out of work.
On Friday, the Dow fell 0.57%, the S&P 500 lost 0.30% and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.09%. The three main U.S. indexes closed higher for the week, with the Nasdaq up over 4%.
Jefferies analysts said U.S. stock markets looked overvalued though they still remained bullish.
"For the stock market to have a real nasty unwind, rather than just a bull market correction, there needs to be a catalyst," analyst Christopher Wood said.
"That means either an economic downturn or a material tightening in Fed policy," Wood said, adding neither was likely to occur in a hurry.
In currencies, major pairs were trapped in a range as markets awaited a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday.
The dollar index was flat at 90.21, with the euro
at $1.2169, while sterling was last trading at $1.3683.
The Japanese yen was unchanged at 103.77 per dollar.
Souring risk sentiment saw Treasury yields move lower on Friday ahead of some record-sized bond auctions and the Fed meeting.
In commodities, oil prices fell with Brent down 7 cents at $55.34 a barrel and U.S. crude off 5 cents at $52.22.
Gold was higher with spot prices up 0.2% at 1,855.9 an ounce.
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(Editing by Sam Holmes)
((swati.pandey@thomsonreuters.com; +61 2 9321 8166; Reuters Messaging: swati.pandey.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; twitter.com/swatisays))
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