Nov 26 - 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 A NEW VIRUS VARIANT HITS EUROPEAN STOCKS (0721 GMT) European stocks are set to open sharply lower as a rush to safety and a massive drop in risk assets spread across the globe on more virus concerns. Stock futures predict a more than 2% drop at opening trades. read more South African scientists have detected a COVID-19 variant with a "very unusual constellation" of mutations, which could help it evade the body"s immune response and make vaccines less effective. read moreU.S. Treasury yields drop 9 basis points, and Fed funds futures rallied as markets pare back expectations for the pace of potential rate hikes in the United States. Meanwhile Brent crude futures fall below $80 a barrel, amid concerns about the pandemic and oil surplus. (Stefano Rebaudo)