Global equities inch higher, bonds gain as Europe COVID cases rise – Reuters

Global equities inch higher, bonds gain as Europe COVID cases rise – Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Global equities gained and safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries rallied on Monday as investors weighed rising coronavirus cases in Europe against a break in the recent run-up of bond yields sparked by concerns of higher global inflation.FILE PHOTO: A child leaps off a bench outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidOn an unsettled day for global markets, risk assets such as oil rose alongside safe havens such as Treasuries, while Turkish assets took a beating after a shock weekend decision to replace the country's hawkish central bank governor.A third wave of COVID-19 across Europe due to highly contagious coronavirus variants is boosting concerns about another round of economic restrictions, with Paris going into a four-week lockdown late last week.“The number of new COVID-19 cases is rising rapidly, and an extension of the lockdown (is) inevitable for many European countries. No one will be surprised by such a decision,” said Milan Cutkovic, market analyst at Axi.“The question is whether investors will remain calm amid the increasing uncertainty. If the vaccination campaign would be running successfully, it would be much easier for market participants to ignore the