Global markets mixed after Wall St decline, virus unease

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Global stocks and Wall Street futures are mixed as traders consider the possible impact of the coronavirus’s omicron variant. London and Frankfurt opened lower and Shanghai and Tokyo fell. Hong Kong advanced. Governments have responded to the variant by tightening travel controls, fueling unease about the outlook for a global economic recovery. On Wednesday, shares fell on Wall Street after the Institute for Supply Management reported U.S. manufacturing activity accelerated faster than expected in November. Investors already were rattled after Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank might withdraw stimulus sooner than expected due to persistently high inflation.