European markets posted strong gains on Tuesday, a sign that investor concerns about a highly contagious new variant of COVID-19 are easing.
As of midday, the London FTSE index has risen by 0.3%, the CAC-40 in Paris by 0.9% and the Frankfurt DAX index slightly higher than one percent.
Asian markets suffered significant losses for a second straight day on Tuesday.
The Tokyo Nikkei Index and the Sydney S & P / ASX Index ended their respective trading sessions with a loss of 1%. The Hong Kong index, the Hang Seng, fell 0.7%. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.8%. The KOSPI index in Seoul fell 1.6% and the TSEC in Taipei fell 1.4%.
Mumbai’s Sensex Index was the only bright spot in the region, up 0.9%.
In commodities trading, gold is trading at $ 1,877.90 an ounce, a drop of 0.2%. U.S. crude is priced at $ 47.38 a barrel, down 1.2%, and Brent crude is priced at $ 50.42 a barrel, down 0.9%.
At least 40 countries, including many in Europe, have suspended the arrival of passengers from the UK for varying periods of time in response to a new strain of coronavirus discovered in southern Britain.
Before the opening bell on Wall Street, the three major US indices rallied and trended higher in futures trading.
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