In Asian Equity Markets stocks fell on Tuesday, as the Delta coronavirus variant spread in key markets in the region and put Chinese authorities on high alert, rattling investor confidence. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.40 percent in early trading. Japan’s Nikkei was off 0.85 percent in early trade. China’s blue chip index CSI300 shed 0.80 percent while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.83 percent. Australia’s benchmark index, the S&P/ASX200 is off 0.25 percent, having reached a record on Monday after Square Inc announced a $29 billion offer for buy-now-pay-later firm Afterpay Ltd.

In Currency Markets the dollar was on the back foot against the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc on Tuesday after soft U.S. manufacturing data and rising concerns about the coronavirus Delta variant prompted traders to wind back bets on a strong economic recovery. The dollar traded at 109.34 yen, near its July 19 low of 109.07, which was its lowest level since late May. Against the Swiss franc, the dollar traded at 0.9054 franc, having hit a 1-1/2-month low of 0.9038 in the previous session. The euro was subdued at $1.1873.

In US Equity Markets the stocks closed slightly lower on Monday after erasing early gains as worries about the Delta variant of the coronavirus and a slowing U.S. economy overshadowed optimism around more fiscal stimulus and a strong second-quarter earnings season. The Dow fell 0.28 percent, to 34,838.16, the S&P 500 lost 0.18 percent, to 4,387.16 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.06 percent, to 14,681.07. Data earlier in the day showed that although U.S. manufacturing grew in July, its pace slowed for a second straight month as spending rotated back to services from goods, and shortages of raw materials persisted.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell about 4 percent on Monday as weak economic data from China and the United States, the world’s top oil consumers, and higher crude output from OPEC producers stoked fears of weakness in oil demand and oversupply. U.S. crude recently fell 4.33 percent to $70.75 per barrel and Brent was at $72.50, down 3.86 percent on the day. Spot gold rose 0.1 percent to $1,816.01 per ounce. Elsewhere, silver was steady at $25.47 per ounce, platinum rose 0.8 percent to $1,057.30, and palladium gained 0.8 percent to $2,681.57.

In European Equity Markets stocks ended at a new peak on Monday, as increased dealmaking activity and a batch of strong financial sector earnings helped markets mark a strong start to August. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.6 percent to end at a record closing high of 464.45 points, with retail and technology stocks serving as the best performers. Axa, Europe’s second-largest insurer, gained 4.2 percent after it posted a 180 percent increase in first-half net income. German rival Allianz fell 7.8 percent after U.S. regulators started a probe relating to Allianz Global Investors’ Structured Alpha Funds.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields fell on Monday as a soft manufacturing report and the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant raised questions about economic growth. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was down 5.5 basis points at 1.1839 percent in afternoon trading, extending a pattern of declines playing out since the spring. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 1.2 basis points at 0.1761 percent. The yield on 10-year Treasury Inflation Protected Securities was -1.180 percent after reaching as low as -1.214 percent, its latest record trough.