Earlier, equity markets in London, Paris and Frankfurt also ended largely flat as both the United States and Britain suffered their worst days of the pandemic as far as fatalities, while Spain registered a record number of new Covid-19 cases.
Despite the grim figures, markets have largely been looking past the crisis as more people are vaccinated and additional vaccines progress towards approval. In London, the British pound rallied as high as $1.3701, close to a 2.5-year peak, after Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey distanced himself from the idea of negative interest rates — but he still warned Britain faced its “darkest hour” due to the virus fallout.
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