PROMOTION LIVECHAT-REUTERS GLOBAL MARKETS FORUM Reuters markets correspondents discuss the outlook for European govvies. To join the discussion at 1130 GMT, click here

MARKET VIEW Financial spreadbetters expect 's FTSE to open 59 points lower at 6,327, Frankfurt's DAX to open 123 points lower at 13,079 and Paris' CAC to open 39 points lower at 5,472.

Asian shares drifted off all-time highs as widening COVID-19 restrictions in the United states weighed on Wall Street, while bonds were underpinned by speculation the Federal Reserve would have to respond with yet more easing.

Oil futures eased, surrendering some gains from the previous day as the surge in coronavirus cases and tighter economic re- strictions around the globe stoked fears over slower fuel demand, outweighing upbeat vaccine news.

MARKET SNAPSHOT AS OF 0425 GMT S&P 500 Index Mini Futures: 3,562.50; down 0.07%; 2.5 points DJIA Mini Futures: 29,365.00; down 0.09%; 26 points Nikkei: 25,523.19; down 0.8%; 204.95 points MSCI Asia, Ex-JP: 623.31; up 0.51%; 3.18 points EUR/USD: $1.1847; down 0.05%; 0.0007 point GBP/USD: $1.3233; down 0.30%; 0.0039 point USD/JPY: 103.74 yen; down 0.10%; 0.10 point Spot Gold: $1,867.26; down 0.22%; $4.15 U.S. Crude: $41.49; down 0.79%; $0.33 Brent Crude: $44.11; down 0.52%; $0.23 10-Yr U.S. Treasury Yield: 0.8497%; down 0.032 point 10-Yr Bund Yield: -0.5560%; flat

GLOBAL TOP NEWS President Donald Trump's attempts to cling to power appeared more tenuous than ever on Wednesday as election officials in Geor- gia said a soon-to-be-completed recount was not likely to change President-elect Joe Biden's victory there.

The United States lifted a 20-month-old flight ban on Boeing's 737 MAX on Wednesday, easing a safety crisis that left its top export- er with a tarnished reputation and hundreds of idle jets.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States crossed 250,000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as a third coro- navirus wave brings a fresh surge in infections and puts immense strain on the healthcare system.

EUROPEAN COMPANY NEWS Pfizer and BioNTech could secure emergency U.S. and European authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed it had a 95% success rate and no serious side effects, the drugmakers said on Wednesday.

Canada's Intact Financial and Denmark's Tryg on Wednesday said they had reached an agreement to buy British insurance group RSA for 7.2 billion pounds in cash in one of Europe's biggest financial takeovers this year.

Norwegian Air has asked an Irish court to oversee a restructuring of its massive debt as it seeks to stave off collapse amid the coro- navirus pandemic, the budget airline said on Wednesday.

TODAY'S COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS Altice Europe NV Q3 2020 Earnings Call Bouygues SA Q3 2020 Earnings Call Buzzi Unicem SpA Shareholders Meeting Catena Media PLC Q3 2020 Earnings Call PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting CMC Markets PLC HY 2021 Earnings Call Cofinimmo SA Q3 2020 Earnings Release Cts Eventim AG & Co KgaA Q3 2020 Earnings Release DO & CO AG HY 2021 Earnings Call Edap Tms SA Q3 2020 Earnings Call eDreams Odigeo SA Q2 2021 Earnings Call Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd Q3 2020 Earnings Release Finsbury Food Group PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Fjord1 ASA Q3 2020 Earnings Call GBK Beteiligungen AG Annual Shareholders Meeting Grainger PLC FY 2020 Earnings Call Gresham House Energy Storage Fund PLC Shareholders Meeting Halma PLC HY 2020/2021 Earnings Release Infrastructure India PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting PLC HY 2021 Earnings Call Jupiter UK Growth Investment Trust PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Knorr Bremse AG Q3 2020 Earnings Call Knot Offshore Partners LP Q3 2020 Earnings Call Londonmetric Property PLC HY 2021 Earnings Call Maestrano Group PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting Group PLC HY 2021 Earnings Release Naked Wines PLC HY 2021 Earnings Call Nordic Nanovector ASA Q3 2020 Earnings Call NTG Nordic Transport Group AS Q3 2020 Earnings Call Royal Mail PLC HY 2021 Earnings Call Semperit AG Holding Q3 2020 Earnings Call Soitec SA HY 2021 Earnings Call Ltd HY 2021 Earnings Call Thyssenkrupp AG FY 2020 Earnings Call UNIQA Insurance Group AG Q3 2020 Earnings Call William Hill PLC Annual Shareholders Meeting

ECONOMIC EVENTS (All times GMT) 0530 (approx.) Netherlands Unemployment Rate Monthly SA for Oct: Prior 4.40% 0700 Switzerland Trade for Oct: Prior 3,279 mln CHF 0830 Sweden Unemployment Rate for Oct: Prior 8.30% 0830 Sweden Unemployment Rate SA for Oct: Expected 9.00%; Prior 9.00% 0830 Sweden Total Employment for Oct: Prior 5.036 mln 0900 (approx.) Euro Zone Current Account NSA for Sep: Prior 21.8 bln EUR 0900 Euro Zone Current Account SA for Sep: Prior 19.940 bln EUR 1000 (approx.) Euro Zone Construction Output mm for Sep: Prior 2.57% 1100 CBI Trends - Orders for Nov: Expected -39; Prior -34

DEBT AUCTIONS France - Reopening of 3-year, 5-year, 7-year, 15-year and 16-year government debt auctions. Spain - Reopening of 5-year and 7-year government debt auctions.

2 PICTURE OF THE DAY

Murmuration of starlings float over the Vittoriano monument as the sun sets in Rome, Italy, November 18. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

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