YesOdd in the morning. The FTSE 100 is ready to open in red as cases of the virus continue to grow.
Encouraged by the news of a positive vaccine earlier in the week, investors are immediately turning their attention to the problems of the virus.
5 things to start your day
1) Pub and restaurant sales fell a third in October: The latest data reveals that sales at pubs and restaurants plunged into third in October due to strict coronavirus restrictions across the UK.
2) As economic recovery fades, Sunak throws out the stimulus: After the economic recovery almost halted, Sunak is poised to burn consumer spending in a new one-billion-pound tidal wave.
3) New Assad owners sell shares in Predictive Empire: The petrol pump tycoons that bought Asda for 6. 6.8 billion last month have rallied millions of people by selling a stake in their business Easy Group.
4) National Express to drive students to Christmas Dubbed “Operation Chris Reya”, the National Express will lead the mass repatriation of university students to return home safely for Christmas.
5) Standard Life Aberdeen boss stressed that offices are necessary: Stephen Bird has begun to attack fulltime homework, with the city increasingly divided over the future of the office.
What happened overnight
Shares in Asia fell after the US stopped selling in the United States and Europe on Friday as investors feared the economic impact of a sharp rise in coronavirus infections.
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in talks with other central bankers on Thursday that progress in coronavirus vaccine development was welcome but that short-term economic risks remained due to the intensification of the infection and the need for additional government stimulus.
Against this grim background, MSCI’s broader index of Asian stocks outside of Japan fell 0.25pc in the initial quarter as stocks stumbled across the region.
Chinese blue-chips led the loss, down 1.21pc. Shares of Australia fell 0.4p pc, Seoul’s Kospi fell 0.06 pc and Hang Senag fell 0.55 pc.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.95 pcs.
Some investors saw the opportunity to buy in a hurry.
Coming today
Corporate: There is no FTSE 350 due to agency reports.
Economy: The second estimate of GDP (Eurozone); Producer price (Us)
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