Markets mixed amid inflation fears and COVID-19 surge

Markets were mixed on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.1 percent to close at another record high. However, the STOXX Europe 600 dipped 0.1 percent and the Nikkei 225 fell 0.6 percent.

“The seasonals favor further gains in the market,” said Wells Fargo Investment Institute’s Gary Schlossberg.

A CNBC survey showed that investors fear inflation most in 2022.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 also remained a concern as the US confirmed more than 4.5 million cases this month.

Dr Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday that the latest wave of the pandemic may hit its peak in the US by the end of January.

However, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that new coronavirus variants could emerge during the pandemic that render the current vaccines useless.