In This Article:
* S&P stock futures up slightly
* All three major U.S. stock indexes at record highs
* Asset risk on, dollar down
* Oil and gold rise
* Bitcoin scores again
* Asia stock markets this year: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By David Henry
NEW YORK, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Asian stock fell slightly on Friday, failing to catch a broader global rally as the investor mood in the region shifted to broader caution about the economic outlook and as post-Brexit worries weighed.
Australian S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.46% in early trading. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.01%. E-mini futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.01%.
As the year draws to a close, markets have been swinging between broader optimism about COVID-19 vaccines and a global economic recovery and concerns about still rising infections.
"We are in an environment now where bad news is good news because it means more stimulus," said Sharon Zollner, chief economist at ANZ Research.
"That will have to change, but it is very difficult to know when central banks will stop having their foot to the floor and everyone has to reassess," she said.
Global stocks hit record highs on Thursday, fueled by growing optimism that deals will be reached over a fresh U.S. stimulus package.
However, Britain and the European Union struck a pessimistic tone in trade talks on Thursday, with a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it was "very likely" there would be no agreement unless the bloc changed its position "substantially".
Bitcoin, too, rose another 7% on Thursday after a 10% gain on Wednesday that had carried the cryptocurrency over $20,000 for the first time.
Congressional negotiators in Washington were scrambling on Thursday to agree on details of a $900 billion COVID-19 aid bill. Lawmakers from both parties said failing to agree was not an option. Earlier Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said talks could spill into the weekend.
But markets remained confident in the new spending, which is estimated to be equivalent to 5% of gross domestic product.
Pressure for pandemic relief increased as new economic data showed the number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week. And, manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region cooled in December, with factories reporting a sharp slowdown in new orders.
One bright spot in the economy was credited partly to low-interest rates: The housing market remains resilient, with homebuilding and permits powering ahead in November.
Wall Street's three main indexes closed at record highs.