World equity markets added to their best month since the COVID
vaccine breakthroughs of late 2020 on Thursday as Europe digested
another far-right election shock and oil skidded after OPEC+ postponed
its weekend meeting.Traders were getting their moves in despite
the annual U.S. Thanksgiving holiday scything volumes but there was
plenty to keep them busy while they did it.
Slightly stronger than
expected German, French and UK PMI data nudged the euro, sterling and
bond yields higher, Sweden's crown dropped as its central bank left
rates on hold while Dutch bank stocks fell after anti-European Union
far-right populist Geert Wilders scored a huge election win.The
PMI beats were "not enough to say we have turned the corner on the
economy," said Close Brothers Asset Management chief investment officer
Robert Alster, adding that activity in Germany and France had still
contracted.
