GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks subdued by Brexit, U.S. stimulus doubts

* Euro STOXX 600 down 1.1%
* Sterling down 0.5%
* Brexit uncertainties, U.S. stimulus timing dent sentiment
* Oil extends gains as Brent rises above $50
* 2020 asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn

By Tom Wilson and Hideyuki Sano
LONDON/TOKYO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - World shares slipped on
Friday as tricky Brexit negotiations and uncertainty over U.S.
stimulus talks capped riskier bets even though COVID-19 vaccines
made progress, pushing sterling down and keeping the dollar
weak.
European equities fell, with the broad Euro STOXX 600
.STOXX down 1.1% and indexes in Paris .FCHI and London
.FTSE losing 1.2% and 1% respectively.
The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks
shares in 50 countries, fell into the red.
U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday as near-term U.S. fiscal
stimulus appeared unlikely. Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
suggested wrangling over a spending package and coronavirus aid
could drag on through Christmas. Brexit also vexed investors after British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson said on Thursday there was "a strong possibility"
Britain and the European Union would fail to strike a trade
deal. Britain and the EU have set a deadline of Sunday to find an
agreement, before Britain's exit from the bloc on Jan. 1. The
odds of a disorderly Brexit rose to 61% on Friday from 53% a day
before, according to the Smarkets exchange. Sterling lost 0.5%, and was set to end five straight weeks
of gains as currency traders weighed an expected hit to the
British economy should the sides fail to agree a deal.
"Investors are right to be worried," said Olivier Marciot, a
portfolio manager at Unigestion. "If there is no deal, there
will be implications. There could be some sort of correction."
U.S. futures gauges ESc1 fell 0.2%.
Still, investors had bet on stronger economic growth next
year as more countries prepare for vaccinations, helping MSCI's
ex-Japan Asia-Pacific index .MIAPJ0000PUS edge up 0.2% and
head for its sixth straight week of gains.
U.S. authorities voted overwhelmingly to endorse emergency
use of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine while doses of a COVID-19
vaccine made by China's Sinovac Biotech SVA.O are rolling off a
Brazilian production line. IPOs, DOWNBEAT JOBS
Demand for recent U.S. initial public offerings also
suggested investors were generally upbeat on equities, even as
job data pointed to weakness in the world's biggest economy.
Shares of Airbnb Inc ABNB.O more than doubled in their
stock market debut on Thursday, valuing the home rental firm at
just over $100 billion in the biggest U.S. initial public
offering of 2020. DoorDash Inc DASH.N stocks doubled in their
first day of trading. At the same time, the number of Americans filing claims for
unemployment benefits grew more than expected last week as
mounting COVID-19 infections led to more business restrictions.
The data "raises the prospect that the labour market
progress seen in recent months is slowing significantly,"
Deutsche Bank analysts wrote.
In the currency markets, the British pound traded at $1.3228
GBP=D4 , with its 1.5% loss so far this week versus the dollar
setting it on course for a first weekly loss since late October.
Emerging-market currencies were poised for a sixth week of
gains, thanks in part to the dollar's recent weakness. The
dollar was up 0.2% against a basket of six major currencies
USD= , near lows not seen since spring 2018.
The euro held not far from two-and-a-half-year highs of
$1.2140 EUR= after the European Central Bank delivered a fresh
stimulus package that was broadly in line with market
expectations on Thursday. Oil prices climbed further, with Brent hitting levels not
seen since early March, as coronavirus vaccination rollouts
fuelled hopes that crude demand would pick up in 2021. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 rose 0.1% to $50.36 per barrel.

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World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
2020 asset performance http://tmsnrt.rs/2yaDPgn
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