(Updated with CAC 40 futures, closing in mainland China, opening of the bond market in Europe)
by Blandine Henault
PARIS, December 27 (Reuters) – The main European stock markets are expected to be stable or down slightly on Monday at the opening, in a market not very lively during this holiday season and made cautious by the spread of the Omicron variant.
Futures contracts signal virtual stability (+ 0.02%) for the Parisian CAC 40, a decline of 0.36% for the Dax in Frankfurt and 0.4% for the EuroStoxx 50.
The FTSE in London will remain closed on Monday, as will several other exchanges like Hong Kong and Sydney.
On Wall Street, closed Friday for Christmas Eve, futures contracts foreshadow a practically stable or even slightly bullish opening for the Nasdaq.
Investors were reassured last week by studies deemed encouraging on the virulence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which, however, has very concrete consequences. Health restriction measures are increasing in several countries and in the United States, a thousand flights were canceled on Sunday as many pilots and crew members were affected by COVID-19.
“Cases of Omicron are on the rise in the United States and Europe and, although the markets have indeed incorporated a less virulent strain, the disruption of goods and services due to the isolation of workers, especially in the airline industry. , seems to be the main consequence so far, “commented Jeffrey Halley, market analyst at Oanda.
VALUES TO FOLLOW:
IN ASIA
The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended down 0.37%, penalized by fears over Omicron and the downturn of Softbank (-2.96%) while Credit Suisse could consider legal action against the Japanese group as part of the Greensill case.
Mainland Chinese stock markets closed very slightly lower, after being for a time supported by the real estate sector after the statements of the People’s Bank of China which promised to promote a healthy development of the real estate market.
The CSI 300 fell 0.04% and the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index fell 0.06%.
RATES / CHANGES
The variations are limited on the foreign exchange market, where the dollar takes 0.14% against a basket of benchmark currencies.
The euro is stable at 1.132 dollars.
On the bond market, the yield on ten-year Treasuries dropped one basis point, at 1.4807%, and its German equivalent was stable in the first few trades, at -0.247%.
OIL
Crude prices fell, penalized by the wave of flight cancellations in the United States.
The barrel of Brent dropped 0.32% to 75.9 dollars and that of US light crude (WTI) lost 1.31% to 72.82 dollars.
NO MAJOR ECONOMIC INDICATOR ON THE AGENDA OF DECEMBER 27
(Blandine Hénault, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)