U.S. stock futures rose, resuming the seesaw action that has become the signature of markets since the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
Futures for the S&P 500 advanced 0.5% Tuesday. The index declined for the third consecutive trading session Monday, as the fast-spreading Omicron variant spurred fears that new lockdowns could derail the sputtering global economic recovery. Contracts for the tech-focused Nasdaq-100 rose 0.7% Tuesday, and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.5%.
Overseas, the Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.7%, while Asian indexes closed with gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 2.1% and China’s Shanghai Composite gained 0.9%. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.4%.
Investors have grappled with a mix of concerns heading into the end of the year. The rise in Omicron cases has spurred concerns about global growth and whether it will prolong the global supply-chain disruptions that have added to inflation. However, signs that vaccine boosters offer protection against Omicron have bolstered hopes that its impact on growth can be mitigated.
Meantime, hopes were raised that a version of the U.S.’s $2 trillion spending package could still be passed, after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would take up the legislation early next year, despite opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin.
“It seems we’re continuing to get this risk-on, risk-off environment. Investors are kind of torn,” said Louise Dudley, an equities portfolio manager at Federated Hermes. Despite heightened uncertainty, investors are still incentivized to buy stocks, as government bonds don’t offer enticing yields, she said.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note ticked up to 1.424% Tuesday from 1.418% Monday. Yields and prices move inversely.
Front-month Brent crude futures, the benchmark in global oil markets, were flat, down 0.10% to $71.47 a barrel.
Bitcoin—the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market value—gained 3.4% to $48,623.