* European shares mixed at end of last full trading week of
2020
* Outcome of talks on U.S. stimulus, Brexit trade deal loom
* All three major U.S. stock indexes hit record highs
* Dollar steadier after week-long beating
By Huw Jones
LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - European shares were mixed early
on Friday, capping the last full trading week of the year with
investors still on edge over a Brexit trade deal and U.S.
stimulus package.
Shares in London .FTSE inched up, lifted by a weaker
dollar. Frankfurt .GDAXI barely gained and Paris .FCHI
slipped.
"The uncertainty around what's coming over the next few days
is keeping investors a little bit nervous as we have two factors
likely to be resolved over the next days: the EU-UK deal and the
U.S. stimulus plan," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst
at CMC Markets.
Dutch health technology firm Philips PHG.AS rose 2% after
it agreed to buy U.S. cardiac diagnostics and monitoring firm
BioTelemetry BEAT.O in a deal worth $2.8 billion.
A more pessimistic tone to Britain's protracted talks with
the European Union weakened the pound, with only days remaining
before the UK leaves the bloc's single market on Dec. 31.
The EU warned there were just hours left to strike a deal,
undermining British domestically focussed mid-caps .FTMC as
the prospect of trade tariffs in the New Year loomed.
"The EU-UK talks could well go right up to the wire as
neither side wants to be seen be giving in too easily. It's all
about the optics for both sides, so it could take a little bit
longer than most people are comfortable with," Hewson said.
The British pound slipped 0.29% to $1.3546 GBP=D4 , off the
two-and-a-half-year high it hit on Thursday.
Among the day's economic data, British retail sales fell
3.8% for the month in November when a four-week lockdown in
England closed shops selling non-essential goods to the public.
A separate gauge of UK consumer confidence jumped by the
most in eight years this month, boosted by the country's
coronavirus vaccine programme.
WALL STREET RECORDS TUMBLE
The prevalent underlying mood on global equities remained
upbeat. All three major U.S. stock indexes, the Dow, Nasdaq and
S&P500, ended at record highs on Thursday on optimism about a
coronavirus stimulus bill. U.S. S&P 500 futures ESc1 were flat.
Markets were also encouraged that the United States stood
ready to ship 5.9 million doses of a new coronavirus vaccine
developed by Moderna MRNA.O that's close to winning regulatory
approval. "Even though the current state of outbreak is so bleak,
markets are assuming vaccines will help the U.S. achieve a herd
immunity next year and that everybody will be dancing in spring,
with pent-up demand for consumption exploding," said Kozo Koide,
chief economist at Asset Management One.
Asian shares slipped on Friday after Reuters reported that
the United States is set to add dozens of Chinese companies,
including the country's top chipmaker SMIC 0981.HK , to a trade
blacklist later in the day. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan
.MIAPJ0000PUS dropped 0.4% from Thursday's record. Mainland
Chinese shares .CSI300 fell 0.35% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng
.HSI lost 0.67%.
Japan's Nikkei .N225 dipped 0.2%, facing strong resistance
around 27,000.
The dollar index stood at 89.91 =USD , having slipped below
90 for the first time in two and a half years.
The euro traded at $1.2260 EUR= , having hit a
two-and-a-half-year high of $1.2273 on Thursday.
Bitcoin rose 1.9% to $23,256 BTC=BTSP after breaking
$20,000 on Wednesday, setting off a fresh wave of buying.
Spot gold XAU= eased to $1,879.6 per ounce from a
one-month high of $1,896.2 the day before. Copper CMCU3 hit
its highest levels in almost eight years.
Oil climbed to a nine-month high before easing in Asia on
Friday. Brent crude LCOc1 futures traded at $51.34 a barrel,
down 0.3% on day but not far from Thursday's peak of $51.90,
having gained 2.7% so far this week.
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Global assets http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
Global currencies vs. dollar http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Emerging markets http://tmsnrt.rs/2ihRugV
MSCI All Country Wolrd Index Market Cap http://tmsnrt.rs/2EmTD6j
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