Nov 23 - Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com STOXX SLIDES TO 3-WEEK LOW (0855 GMT) European stocks are set for their worst session in nearly two months as growing number of COVID-19 cases and rate hike concerns knocked sentiment ahead of flash readings on euro zone business activity. The STOXX 600 (.STOXX) equity benchmark falls 1.5% to a 3-week low, with all sectors trading lower and tech stocks down a whopping 2.4%. More than 86% of the STOXX constituents were trading in the red. The worst performer is AO World, whose shares plummeted almost 30% in early trading after the company warned of product shortages and cut its fiscal 2022 profit outlook. read more (Joice Alves) ****** MIND THE (EUROPE-U.S.) GAP (0820 GMT) When advance prints of Purchasing managers" Indexes (PMI) land, focus will be on businesses" input cost increases and whether they show signs of easing. The readings may also reinforce the gap between robust U.S. activity and COVID-plagued Europe, potentially further depressing the euro, which plumbed new 16-month lows on Monday . Monday"s euro area consumer confidence indicator offered a warning, falling back below pre-pandemic levels. October PMIs showed bloc"s activity slowing the weakest in six months, while businesses" costs rose at the fastest pace in two decades. U.S. and British PMIs fared better but eye-popping price increases still featured. A price slowdown would vindicate central bankers" who have until now rejected surging inflation as transitory. But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell (re-appointed for another four years) spoke on Monday the corrosive impact of inflation. The United States may also unveil an emergency oil release later in the day to dent energy prices read more . Powell"s reappointment sent markets into a frenzy of policy-tightening bets; three U.S. rate hikes are priced for 2022, starting June read more . U.S. Treasury yields are higher again this morning after 5-8 basis-point rises on Tuesday, while the dollar has moved into a fifth straight week of gains against a basket of currencies . When does this become a problem for stock markets? Nasdaq-listed tech shares, vulnerable to higher rates, fell on Monday and are tipped for another lossmaking session . Even a 2% rally in bank shares (.SPXBK) did not prevent a weaker S&P 500 close. Futures signal weakness there and for European shares . Finally, El Salvador"s plans for a $1 billion bitcoin-backed bond doesn"t seem to have benefited the coin very much; it"s holding near one-month lows read more . Key developments that should provide more direction to markets on Tuesday: Tuesday, Nov 23 -E.ON to invest $30 billion for green transition read more -BOE MPC member Jonathan Haskel speaks -ECB speakers: ECB board member Pentti Hakkarainen -U.S. Treasury auctions 7-year notes, 2-year floating rate notes -Philly Fed Non-manufacturing Business Outlook Survey -Emerging markets: Nigeria central bank meets -U.S. earnings: American Eagle, Medtronic, Best Buy, Dollar Tree, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hewlett Packard, Nordstrom, Gap, Dell (Sujata Rao) ***** Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.