LONDON — European markets opened lower in a holiday-thinned trading session on Monday with many markets still closed due to the Christmas festivities.
The German Dax slid 0.4%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.3% and Spain’s Ibex was down 0.6% in early morning deals.
Market players have been juggling concerns over coronavirus restrictions and tighter central bank policy with signs that the heavily mutated omicron strain of the virus is milder than earlier variants like delta.
New studies in South Africa and the U.K. last week suggested omicron has a reduced risk of hospitalization and severe illness. In the U.K. over the weekend, infections were still topping 100,000, while France has also reported cases above that figure for the first time.
In Asia, shares were mixed in Monday trade, with multiple major markets in the region closed for holidays.
U.S. markets will be back open on Monday after the Christmas holiday, but both the U.K. and Ireland will be closed for Monday and Tuesday.
