In Asian Equity Markets stocks were mixed on Monday morning, as uncertainties about the omicron COVID-19 variant continue and investors await U.S. inflation data later in the week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.67 percent and South Korea’s KOSPI edged up 0.14 percent. In Australia, the ASX 200 was down 0.34 percent, with the Reserve Bank of Australia handing down its policy decision on Tuesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.96 percent. China’s Shanghai Composite was up 0.40 percent and the Shenzhen Component edged up 0.13 percent.

In Currency Markets the dollar edged off last week’s peaks against riskier currencies on Monday, as concerns about the Omicron variant seemed to ebb, though an expectation of inflation driving U.S. interest rates higher kept the greenback firm against the euro. The Aussie rose 0.3 percent to $0.7023, scraping itself up from a 13-month low. The kiwi rose 0.2 percent to $0.6756, also clambering from a 13-month low made on Friday. The safe haven yen eased 0.1 percent to 113.00 per dollar. The euro fell 0.2 percent to $1.1289 and sterling was steady at $1.3234.

In US Equity Markets stocks closed lower on Friday, with the Nasdaq leading the declines as investors bet that a strong jobs report would not slow the Federal Reserve’s withdrawal of support all while they grappled with uncertainty around the Omicron coronavirus variant. The Dow fell 0.17 percent, to 34,580.08, the S&P 500 lost 0.84 percent, to 4,538.43 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.92 percent, to 15,085.47. Decliners included heavyweights such as Tesla, down 6 percent, and Nvidia, down 4 percent and both Apple Inc and Microsoft losing more than 1 percent.

In Commodities Markets crude prices edged higher on Friday after producer group OPEC+ said it could review its policy to hike output at short notice if a rising number of pandemic lockdowns chokes off demand. Brent futures rose 21 cents to settle at $69.88 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ended 24 cents lower at $66.26 a barrel. Spot gold was up 0.9 percent at $1,785.29 per ounce. Elsewhere, spot silver gained 0.6 percent to $22.51 per ounce. Platinum fell 1.1 percent to $927.07, while palladium gained 1.2 percent to $1,802.51.

In European Equity Markets stocks fell on Friday, hitting session lows after a downturn in U.S. stocks on a tech slide and fears around the Omicron coronavirus variant hitting economic recovery. The pan-European STOXX 600 erased morning gains to close down 0.6 percent after swinging between losses and gains all week on worries over the potential impact of the newly detected variant, and the U.S. Federal Reserve’s recent hawkish turn. Basic resources sector lost the most in Europe on Friday, down 2.5 percent as copper and iron ore prices eased, while tech stocks tracked U.S. peers lower.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields tumbled on Friday in choppy trading, with the 10-year yield falling below 1.4 percent for the first time since September as a risk-off sentiment took hold in markets, sending Wall Street lower. The benchmark 10-year yield fell to its lowest level since Sept. 23 at 1.335 percent. It was last down 8.9 basis points at 1.3598 percent. The 30-year yield fell to its lowest since Jan. 5 at 1.667 percent. It was last 8.4 basis points lower at 1.6837 percent. The two-year yield, which reflects short-term interest rate expectations, was last down 2.8 basis points at 0.5913 percent.