Stocks mixed across global markets in quiet holiday trading

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Global stocks were mixed in quiet trading on Friday, with many markets closed or ending early in observance of Christmas. Stocks slipped in Paris and Tokyo, inched higher in Seoul and Hong Kong and were nearly unchanged in London. Financial markets took the day off in the United States, Germany and many other countries. A day earlier, Wall Street’s S&P 500 set a record as fears ebbed about how badly the omicron variant will hit the economy. Of course, much is still uncertain about omicron, which seems to spread extremely quickly. Several airlines canceled flights Friday because many workers called in sick.