Shares of banks and other lenders and money managers rose as vaccine progress and speculation about more stimulus checks whetted risk appetite among investors.
The odds of $2,000 stimulus payments would increase if Democrats won the Senate run-off elections in Georgia, according to research firm RenMac.
Shares of Spanish bank Liberbank fell after the lender agreed to merge with peer Unicaja Banco, continuing a wave of Spanish financial sector consolidation.
Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-30-20 1716ET
