- Asian equities and US share futures climbed as investors wagered that the global economic recovery will withstand the omicron variant as well as tougher central bank policies to combat rising inflation.
- The Asia-pacific index of MSCI rose for the fourth session in a row, while the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and European futures also advanced. US stocks finished at an all-time high on Friday, following an inflation report that was strong but in line with forecasts.
- The Federal Reserve is anticipated to accelerate the withdrawal of stimulus on Wednesday, perhaps opening the door to earlier interest-rate hikes in 2022 if price pressures remain near a four-decade high. Treasury yields in the US increased slightly, with the 10-year bond yielding around 1.5%.
- Meanwhile, the pound fell as UK's Prime Minister Johnson warned of a "tidal wave" of infections caused by the omicron variant. The dollar remained stable. China set its daily reference rate at a lower-than-expected level, indicating that the central bank is willing to go further to halt the country's currency's persistent surge.
