BEIJING (AP) — European stock markets have opened higher while Asia declined as investors looked ahead to U.S. employment data for signs of inflation pressure. London and Frankfurt gained while Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong closed lower. Wall Street futures were mixed. Investors are swinging between optimism about a global economic recovery underpinned by coronavirus vaccinations and worry that central banks might feel pressure to withdraw stimulus to cool rising inflation pressures. They are looking to U.S. employment data due out Friday for signs of whether the labor market is starting to heat up, potentially pushing up wages.
