Morning Report 2 Dec 21: ASX to open lower following a late selloff for Wall St

<p class="p1">US sharemarkets were weaker in a volatile session on Wednesday, driven by news of the first case of Omicron to be found in the US (California). The Cboe volatility gauge (Vix) rose 11% to 9-month highs. Shares in Merck fell 0.6% despite positive regulatory news on its pill to treat Covid-19. At the close of trade the Dow Jones index was lower by 462 points or 1.3% after being up 521 points earlier in the session. The S&P 500 index fell by 1.2%. The Nasdaq index fell by 284 points or 1.8%.</p> <p class="p1">European sharemarkets posted the strongest sessions in around six months on Wednesday. Autos rose by 3.8% and travel & leisure rose by 3.1%. Materials rose 2.3% and energy rose 2.1%. Restraining sentiment was data showing factory price inflation at the fastest rate in 19 years. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose by 1.7%. The German Dax index rose by 2.5%. And the UK FTSE index lifted by 1.6%. In London trade, shares in Rio Tinto rose by 1.7%; BHP shares rose 0.4%.</p> <p class="p1">This report is approved and distributed in Australia by Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814 (CommSec) a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL 234945 (the Bank), and a market participant of ASX Limited and CHI-X Pty Limited, a clearing participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a settlement participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Any advice contained in this report is general advice only and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any securities, property, real estate or financial products, and has been prepared without taking account of the objectives, financial or taxation situation or needs of any particular individual. Before making any investment decision, you should consider your own investment needs and objectives and consider seeking financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. This report is produced by Commonwealth Securities Limited based on information available a