* The Stoxx 600 gains 1.09% and the CAC 40 1.3%
    * US Congress approves stimulus package
    * Caution remains, oil falls and the dollar rises

    PARIS, December 22 (Reuters) - The main European stock exchanges are trying
a rebound Tuesday morning, with stocks erasing some of the heavy
losses suffered the day before amid renewed concerns about the spread
 of a new strain of the coronavirus.    
    In Paris, the CAC 40 index, which lost 2.4% on Monday, regained 1.3% at
5,463.44 points around 09:00 GMT. In Frankfurt, the Dax takes 1.3% and
London, the FTSE gives itself 0.29%. 
    The EuroStoxx 50 index for the euro zone advanced by 1.31%, the
FTSEurofirst 300 by 1.09% and the Stoxx 600 by 1.09%.
    On Monday, Europe's major stock indexes lost more than 2% after the
decision by several countries around the world to close their borders to
people from Britain due to fears over
a new strain of the highly contagious coronavirus detected on the
British territory. 
    The United Kingdom and France, which are working to lift the blockade of the
border, could quickly announce the resumption of the transport of
merchandise.
    The World Health Organization (WHO), which is soon planning a
meeting on the variant, tried to reassure Monday by warning against
any excessive fear, mutations being part of the normal evolution
of an epidemic.
    In addition, the general manager of BioNTech said to himself
convinced that the vaccine developed with Pfizer would be effective against the new
strain of the coronavirus after getting the green light from the European Commission
to its use in the EU.
    In the United States, after months of deadlock, Congress approved a
recovery plan of 892 billion dollars (729 billion euros) intended to
compensate for the effects of the pandemic on the American economy and which plans
including direct aid to individuals and compensation
supplement for job seekers.
    In macro-economics, the market will follow the publication of the latest estimate
third-quarter US growth, expected at 12:30 GMT.
        
    VALUES TO FOLLOW:
    Unlike Monday, all the sector indices are
up in early trade. The banking compartment, plus
strong sectoral increase, resumed 1.86% after falling 3.6% the day before.
    The insurance, distribution and
technology gain 1.5% to 1.7%.
    Societe Generale, which suffered the heaviest drop in the CAC on Monday
(-5.19%), is now in the lead with a gain of 2.64%. On the side of the SBF
120, Air France-KLM resumed 5.63% after -4.16% on Monday.
    
    AT WALL STREET 
    Futures suggest an open with little change on Wall
Street this Tuesday the day after a disorderly session, slowed down, as in Europe,
fears of a worsening epidemic.
    Supported by financial stocks, the Dow Jones index gained 0.12%
at 30,216.45. The S&P-500, on the other hand, lost 0.39% to 3,694.92 and the Nasdaq
Composite fell 0.10% to 12,742.52 points.
    In values, the big banks shone after being authorized by
the Federal Reserve to resume share buybacks under certain conditions
and continue to pay limited dividends. Goldman Sachs (+6.13%) has
been by far the most important support to the Dow Jones.
    Tesla, which made a highly anticipated debut in the S&P-500, has
fell 6.5% to $649.86 after hitting a record high on Friday
at $695 per share and gained more than 700% year-to-date.
    
    IN ASIA 
    The Nikkei on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended down 1.04% at one
two-week low as investors take advantage of concerns over the
coronavirus to take profits after two months of strong gains.
    Stock markets in China also ended in the red, affected by the
ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington although losses are in
partly limited by the economic dynamism of the second world power.
    Donald Trump's administration released a list of companies on Monday
Chinese and Russians with alleged links to the Army of the Republic
popular, thus limiting their purchases of a wide range of products and
American technology.
    The Shanghai Composite fell 1.86% and the CSI300 fell
Mainland China by 1.63%.    
    
    EXCHANGES/RATES 
    A sign that the nervousness has not completely disappeared, the dollar is advancing against the
other major currencies by once again taking advantage of its status as a safe haven.
The index measuring its variations compared to a reference basket is
up 0.24% and the euro returned to 1.2223, down 0.16%.
    The pound sterling still gives ground and loses 0.2% against the greenback.
    In the Brexit file, several subjects, including the question of fishing,
constitute points of disagreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom
as part of negotiations on their future relationship, the
French Secretary of State for European Affairs.
    On the bond market, the American ten-year continues to
down and loose nearly two basis points to 0.9263%.
    In early trade, the ten-year Bund yield
fell slightly, around -0.596%. 
    
    OIL 
    Oil prices continue to slide as the rapid spread
of a new strain of the coronavirus across the Channel has prompted several countries to
temporarily close their borders with the UK.
    Brent falls 1.36% to $50.22 a barrel and crude
American (West Texas Intermediate, WTI) from 1.46% to 47.27 dollars.
    Both futures fell more than 2.5% on Tuesday.
       
    MAIN ECONOMIC INDICATORS ON THE DECEMBER 22 AGENDA: 
 COUNTRY GMT INDICATOR PERIOD PREVIOUS CONSENSUS
                                           S         
 US 1:30 p.m. Q3 GDP (def.) 33.1% 33.1%*
                                                     
 * previous estimate
    
    THE MARKET SITUATION
    (Some data may show a slight shift)
    
  MARKETS                                                                    
 EUROPEANS                                                         
                                                                             
 Indices Last Var. Var. %YTD                   
                               Points                              
 Eurofirst 300 1508.95 +16.63 +1.11% -7.08%                
                                                                   
 Eurostoxx 50 3492.62 +43.94 +1.27% -6.74%                
                                                                   
 CAC 40 5,460.78 +67.44 +1.25% -8.65%                
 Dax 30 13,417.96 +171.66 +1.30% +1.28%                
 FTSE 6436.87 +20.55 +0.32% -14.66%               
 SMI 10402.98 +97.46 +0.95% -2.02%                
  The values to follow                                                     
 Paris and Europe:                                              
                                                                   
                                                                             
  SCHOLARSHIPS                                                                    
 ASIAN                                                        
 Closing Indices Var. Var. %YTD                   
                               Points                              
 Nikkei-225 26436.39 -278.03 -1.04% +11.75%               
                                                                   
 Topix 1761.12 -27.93 -1.56% +2.31%                
 Hong Kong 26119.25 -187.43 -0.71% -7.34%                
 Taiwan 14177.46 -207.50 -1.44% +18.17%               
 Seoul 2733.68 -44.97 -1.62% +24.39%               
 Singapore 2824.31 -22.21 -0.78% -12.37%               
 Shanghai 3356.78 -63.79 -1.86% +10.05%               
 Sydney 6599.60 -70.30 -1.05% -1.26%                
 The fence at                                                                
 Tokyo:                                                           
                                                                             
  WALL STREET                                                                
  The session                                                                  
 former :                                                      
 Indices Last Var. Var. %YTD                   
                               Points                              
 Dow Jones 30216.45 +37.40 +0.12% +5.88%                
 S&P 500 3694.92 -14.49 -0.39% +14.37%               
 Nasdaq 12742.52 -13.12 -0.10% +42.02%               
 Nasdaq 100 12690.26 -47.92 -0.38% +45.31%               
                                                                   
                                                                             
  Minutes of the meeting at                                                
 Wall Street:                                                     
 "The Day Ahead" - Update on the                                           
 next session on Wall Street                                    
                                                                             
  CHANGES                                                                    
                   Standby Price Var.% YTD                   
 Euro/Dlr 1.2221 1.2242 -0.17% +9.02%                
 DLR/Yen 103.39 103.30 +0.09% -5.02%                
 Euro/Yen 126.35 126.45 -0.08% +3.61%                
                                                                   
 DLR/CHF 0.8869 0.8855 +0.16% -8.37%                
 Euro/CHF 1.0838 1.0841 -0.03% -0.13%                
                                                                   
 Stg/Dlr 1.3426 1.3463 -0.27% +1.26%                
 Index $ 90.2650 90.0430 +0.25% -6.14%                
                                                                             
 GOLD                                                                          
                   Standby Price Var.% YTD                   
 Gold Spot 1870.96 1876.21 -0.28% +23.33%               
                                                                             
  RATE                                                                       
                                                                             
                               Last Var. Spread/Bun            
                                                                  
                                                          (pts)    
 Future Bunds 178.01 +0.15                             
                                                                   
 10-year Bunds -0.59 -0.01                             
                                                                   
 2-year Bunds -0.74 -0.01                             
                                                                   
 10-year OATs -0.35 -0.01 +24.00                
                                                                   
 10-year Treasury 0.92 -0.02                             
                                                                   
 Treasury 2 years 0.12 -0.00                             
                                                                   
                                                                             
  OIL                                                                    
 (in dollars) Previous Price Var Var.% YTD
 US light crude 47.29 47.97 -0.68 -1.42% -22.74%
                                                                   
 Brent 50.25 50.91 -0.66 -1.30% -23.90%