MILAN/HONG KONG—Stock markets in Europe and Asia cemented gains in light holiday trade on Friday, while the safe-haven dollar eased on signs the Omicron variant would not significantly derail global economic growth.
The greenback was set for its worst week in four months while other risk-friendly assets from bitcoin to the Australian dollar held onto their recent gains, buoyed by ebbing concerns over the severity of the new COVID-19 variant.
