European markets were lower today. The Spanish Ibex Index fell 1.8% and STOXX Europe 600 Index fell 1.3%. The French CAC 40 Index tumbled 1.6%, London’s FTSE 100 dipped 1.5% while German DAX 30 declined 1.5%. Spain's retail sales fell 0.7% year-over-year in October. The annual inflation rate in France accelerated to 2.8% in November from 2.6% in October, while quarterly economic growth was confirmed at 3% on quarter in the third quarter. Household consumption of goods in France slipped 0.4% in October, while industrial producer prices increased 2.9% in October. Italy’s gross domestic product expanded by 2.6% on the quarter during the three months to September. The number of unemployed people in Germany fell by 34,000 to 2.428 million in November, while unemployment rate stood at 3.3% in October.

Asian markets traded mostly lower today. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.63%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.58% and China’s Shanghai Composite rose 0.03%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.22%, while India’s BSE Sensex fell 0.6%. Japan's housing starts climbed 10.4% year-over-year in October, while industrial production rose 1.1% in October. The official NBS manufacturing PMI for China climbed to 50.1 in November from 49.2 in October, while non-manufacturing PMI came in at 52.3 in November. Australia's current account surplus widened to AUD 23.9 billion in the third quarter, while building permits dipped 12.9% to 15,911 units in October.

• Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) CEO, said in Financial Times interview, that vaccines are likely less effective against the Omicron variant.
• UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) said it sees FY21 adjusted earnings of $18.75 to $18.90 per share on revenue of approximately $287 billion. The company also expects FY22 adjusted EPS of $21.10-$21.60 and revenue of $317 billion to $320 billion.
• Chatham Asset Management offered to acquire R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company (NYSE:RRD) for $10.25 per share in cash.
• Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said Monday that the automaker’s upcoming Cybertruck would be an “insane technology bandwagon.”