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| - European stocks fell Friday, giving up gains made the previous day after the European Central Bank gave sentiment a boost by promising more support for the economy if needed. London also dropped after January data showed Britain's economy tanked on the latest Covid-19 lockdown, while post-Brexit exports to the EU plunged as the country formally departed the bloc. Asian stock markets earlier closed mostly higher following more records overnight on Wall Street after US President Joe Biden finally signed his enormous coronavirus stimulus package into law. "It's not quite the end to the week that investors had hoped, with markets across Europe failing to sustain yesterday's positive momentum," noted Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. "The standout market of the day was Japan where the Nikkei jumped 1.7 percent, a somewhat delayed reaction to the $1.9 trillion stimulus being signed and a weak yen giving support to exporters." Less than two months after taking office, Biden on Thursday put his name to the huge rescue plan that paves the way for a spending splurge widely seen as ramping up domestic and global growth. The package -- which includes up to $1,400 in cash handouts, extended unemployment benefits and other aid programmes -- comes as the US government pushes ahead with its vaccine drive against the coronavirus. The ECB's decision Thursday to ramp up its own stimulus, or bond-buying programme, provided some calm to markets. Observers said the ECB move signalled to investors that central bank officials around the world were ready to step in to keep their monetary policies ultra-low for as long as needed to help the economy get back on track. However a rise in money market rates year has led some economists to fear the largesse of global central banks will cause a surge in inflation, potentially leading to an end of the cheap cash that has powered a year-long equity rally. London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,715.74 points Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN 0.7 percent at 14,469.30 Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 6,026.93 EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,824.94 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.7 percent at 29,717.83 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 2.2 percent at 28,739.72 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,453.08 (close) New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 32,485.59 (close Thursday) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1920 from $1.1982 at 2200 GMT Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3920 from $1.3984 Euro/pound: DOWN at 85.61 pence from 85.66 pence Dollar/yen: UP at 109.05 yen from 108.53 yen Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $69.41 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $65.81 per barrel burs-bcp/rfj/bmm
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