MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 49 countries, was down 0.1per cent at 0842 GMT, having edged down in the last week after it hit a new all-time high on Jan. 21.In the Asian session on Wednesday, shares were hurt by some profit-taking, as investors grew wary of stretched valuations.
The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield held close to the three-week low it hit in the previous session, and was broadly flat on the day at 1.0398per cent at 0846 GMT. Heightened participation of retail investors in the stock market has come into focus this week, as amateur traders on Reddit's r/WallStreetBets stock trading discussion group piled into GameStop, causing it to skyrocket while professional shortsellers scrambled to cover losing bets.
Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 100 million on Wednesday and countries around the world are struggling with new variants of the virus and delays in vaccine rollouts.