Global stocks follow Wall Street higher as virus fears ease
CTV
Global stock markets followed Wall Street higher Tuesday as anxiety about the coronavirus's latest variant eased and China reported stronger November trade figures than expected.
London and Frankfurt opened higher. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong advanced. Oil prices rose more than US$1 a barrel for a second day.
Wall Street futures were higher after the chief White House medical adviser said Monday the Omicron variant might be less dangerous. That might allow travel and business restrictions to ease.
Reports from South Africa, where Omicron first was spotted, that hospitals haven't been overwhelmed "is fueling some optimism" among traders who sold earlier, said Yeap Jun Rong of IG in a report.
In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London gained 1% to 7,302.61 and Frankfurt's DAX advanced 1.6% to 15,623.97. The CAC 40 in Paris added 1.7% to 6,982.63.
