European stocks gain ahead of earnings; China adds stimulus
European shares were slightly higher in early trading on Monday as investors focused on company earnings and U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers entered a quiet period ahead of their meeting next week.
Analysis: Risk of catching Omicron abroad delays airline recovery
Before the Omicron variant of coronavirus burst onto the scene in November, retired Australian Glenn Turnley was looking forward to a three-week trip to Japan, Britain and France in March – his first overseas jaunt since the pandemic began.
Investors ready for U.S. earnings as inflation worries run high
U.S. companies will post results in the coming weeks on the final quarter of 2021 as investors worry about inflation’s impact on earnings and pressure on the Federal Reserve to speed up the timeline for kicking off interest rate hikes.
German industry expects economy to grow by 3.5% in 2022
Germany’s BDI industry association said on Thursday it expected Europe’s largest economy to grow 3.5% this year, giving a more cautious forecast than the government as it warned companies could face another “stop-and-go year” due to the pandemic.
Hong Kong warns COVID-19 curbs on air cargo to hit goods supply
Hong Kong will soon feel the negative effects of tougher COVID-19 quarantine curbs on air crew, with cargo traffic and the supply of goods into the city set to drop, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Wednesday.
Column: Like Tortoise vs Hare, ECB may ‘normalize’ before Fed
If the world’s big central banks are convinced the economic emergency is over and policy should start to return to pre-pandemic settings, the ECB is likely to beat the Fed to it.
Analysis: As Fed rate hikes loom, China may opt for modest easing to cushion slowdown
China’s central bank is set to unveil more easing steps to support slowing growth, though it will likely favour injecting more cash into the economy than cutting interest rates too aggressively, policy insiders and economists said.
Analysis: Pandemic fatigue makes the case for boosters a harder sell
Some nations are already looking to a fourth vaccine dose to help contend with a huge Omicron-driven spike in COVID-19 cases, but early signs suggest repeat vaccination may be a hard sell as beleaguered populations enter their third pandemic year.
Chinese cities tighten COVID-19 curbs as Tianjin battles Omicron outbreak
Cities across China are imposing tougher restrictions to try to control new outbreaks of COVID-19, with Tianjin battling the highly contagious Omicron variant which has been detected to have been transmitted locally in two other provinces.
U.S. reports 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a day, shattering global record
The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
