In Asian Equity Markets stocks edged higher in choppy trading on Thursday, helped by advances in Chinese real estate shares, though fears about the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus capped gains regionally. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan advanced 0.2 percent, boosted by Chinese blue chips up 0.25 percent and Hong Kong up 0.2 percent. The Nikkei index were down 0.54 percent at 27,780.02, after falling as much as 1.04 percent earlier. The broader Topix shed 0.40 percent to 1,929.43 but hovered above Wednesday’s three-month intraday low of 1,914.93.

In Currency Markets the safe-haven yen hovered near a seven-week high on Thursday while the rand and riskier currencies languished as the Omicron coronavirus variant established itself as the dominant strain in South Africa and continued to spread globally. Against Japan’s currency, the U.S. dollar edged 0.11 percent higher to 112.875 yen. The euro was steady at $1.1316, continuing its recovery after falling to a near 17-month low of $1.1186 last month. Sterling was little changed at $1.3276. The risk-sensitive Aussie was about flat at $0.7105, not far from Tuesday’s low of $0.7063.

In US Equity Markets stocks fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after a morning rally faded as investor angst about the latest coronavirus variant soared with the first U.S. case confirmation while the market also digested Fed comments on inflation. The Dow fell 1.34 percent, to 34,022.04, the S&P 500 lost 1.18 percent, to 4,513.04 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.83 percent, to 15,254.05. Salesforce.com Inc forecast current-quarter profit below estimates as it faces stiff competition from rivals including Microsoft, sending its shares down 11.7 percent.

In Commodities Markets crude oil futures settled lower on Wednesday, as an early rally fizzled and selling intensified on worries the Omicron variant of coronavirus could cut oil demand as global supply builds. WTI U.S. crude futures settled down 0.9 percent, at $65.57 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent crude was down 0.5 percent, at $68.87 a barrel. Spot gold was up 0.4 percent to $1,780.05 per ounce after falling as much as 0.9 percent on Tuesday. Spot silver fell 2.3 percent at $22.27 per ounce. Platinum steadied at $934.55 and palladium rose 0.1 percent to $1,740.25.

In European Equity Markets stocks posted their best session in almost six months on Wednesday, as investors picked up beaten down stocks that were hammered in the past few sessions by fears of the spread of a new and highly infectious strain of the coronavirus. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 1.7 percent, recovering from a sharp sell-off in the previous session that had sent it to a seven-week low. Miners gained 2.3 percent after copper prices rebounded on easing concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant, while oil stocks rose 2.1 percent as crude prices rose as OPEC meets.

In Bond Markets longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields were little changed after giving up earlier gains on Wednesday as the Omicron coronavirus variant was found in the United States, though short-dated yields stayed higher on chances that the U.S. Fed will speed up its bond purchase tapering. Benchmark 10-year yields were little changed on the day at 1.434 percent, after earlier rising to 1.506 percent. Two-year yields, which are highly sensitive to interest rate moves, jumped 4 basis points to 0.563 percent. They are holding below a high of 0.687 percent reached on Nov. 23, which was the highest since March 2020.