Data from Bank of America showed investors pumped US$27 billion into equity funds last week as positive Covid-19 vaccine updates led to euphoric buying of shares in worst-hit sectors such as banks, travel and leisure, and oil.
Markets were also nervous about further stimulus for the US economy after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said key pandemic lending programmes at the Federal Reserve would expire on Dec 31, putting the outgoing Trump administration at odds with the central bank. There was optimism on the Brexit front, with an European Union official pointing to progress on"important files" as Britain negotiates on a future trading relationship with the EU.