Stock markets traded mixed on Friday, as fresh COVID lockdown fears in China offset hopes that the Federal Reserve would tone down US interest-rate hikes. With Wall Street closed for the Thanksgiving break, trading was light, with few catalysts to drive action on trading floors and investors looking ahead to the release of US jobs data next week. Europe's major stock markets rose nearing the half-way mark after Asian indices closed mixed. The euro was also mixed against main rivals, as official data showed Germany's economy grew more than previously thought in the third quarter despite high inflation and an energy crisis. Oil prices firmed after heavy losses earlier in the week. The mood across markets has picked up this month as a series of indicators suggested the US economy, the world's largest, was showing signs of weakness after the Fed ramped up interest rates. The standout reports were consumer and wholesale inflation, which came in much lower than forecast and provided the US central bank with room to row back on its hawkishness. And while a selection of Fed officials lined up to warn there was more tightening to come, there is an expectation that the days of bumper 75...
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