NEW YORK (AP) Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street, putting the market back on a positive footing following a modest pullback the day before. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% in the early going Wednesday. Small-company stocks again outpaced their larger rivals, as they have been doing all month. That’s a sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy. Investors were encouraged to see that Britain had authorized a coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca which is easier to handle than others. European markets were slightly lower and Asian markets ended broadly higher. Treasury yields held steady.
World shares edged higher on Wednesday as some markets wrapped up trading for 2020, anticipating a dose of fresh support for the U.S. economy and efforts to speed up coronavirus vaccinations to help curb the pandemic. Shares rose in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Tokyos benchmark fell back after surging to a 30-year high on Tuesday. Gains were modest after a lackluster day on Wall Street, as the boost from President Donald Trumps signing of a USD 900 billion coronavirus relief package faded. On Wednesday, Britain authorised use of a second COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country to greenlight an easy-to-handle shot that its developers hope will become the vaccine for the world.