European stocks are expected to open lower on Thursday as concerns persist over the omicron Covid variant.
The U.K.'s FTSE index is seen opening 80 points lower at 7,086, Germany's DAX 176 points lower at 15,295, France's CAC 40 down 91 points at 6,797, and Italy's FTSE MIB 326 points lower at 26,026 according to data
The major markets in Asia-Pacific and the U.S. bounced back Wednesday despite fears about the new variant of the Federal Reserve.
The World Health Organization has designated a "variant of concern" about the risks posed by the new omicron Covid variant, which was spotted in South Africa last week.
The WHO said on Wednesday that at least 23 countries have now reported cases of omicron, and that they expect that number to grow. It is not yet known if the omicron variant is driving an increase in severe Covid-19 cases.
The CDC confirmed the first known case of the omicron variant in the U.S., sending stocks tumbling. There was a case of the heavily mutated variant in northern California.
The euro zone unemployment rate for October is included in the data releases. There are no earnings Thursday.
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