Global stocks follow Wall Street higher as virus fears ease

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets have followed Wall Street higher as anxiety about the coronavirus’s latest variant eases. London, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Shanghai advanced. Oil prices gained for a second day. Wall Street futures were higher after the chief White House medical adviser said the omicron variant might be less dangerous. That might allow travel and business restrictions to ease. Shares in airlines and cruise lines rose. Investors also are factoring mixed U.S. jobs data and the Federal Reserve’s plan to accelerate its withdrawal of stimulus to cool inflation pressures. The U.S. government is due to report November consumer inflation on Friday.