- Asian equities were mixed on Thursday, following a strong reversal in US shares due to fears about the omicron virus strain and as Jerome Powell repeated a turn toward perhaps withdrawing stimulus sooner.
- Stocks fell in Japan and varied in China and Hong Kong, where technology equities fell as Beijing plans to tighten a loophole used by tech firms to list abroad. Following the S&P 500's biggest two-day drop since October 2020, US contracts recorded slight gains. The index dropped into the close after erasing an almost 2% advance on Wednesday, as the NASDAQ 100 underperformed.
- The first confirmed instance of the new type in the United States jolted markets, and its development may pose new obstacles for economic recovery. Simultaneously, Federal Reserve Chair Powell said that officials should consider reducing monetary support more quickly in the face of higher inflation.
- Treasuries pared a surge that had previously driven the 30-year yield to its lowest level since January. The dollar fell slightly. The Turkish lira fell when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan abruptly dismissed his finance minister.
- NSW Australia Health confirms a new Omicron case, bringing the total number of Omicron cases in the state to seven.