Currency markets steadied on Thursday as investors waited for clues on the threat posed by the Omicron coronavirus variant and the speed at which the Federal Reserve will taper stimulus in the United States. The first case of the Omicron variant was identified in the United States on Wednesday, weighing on markets, although much remains unknown about the new strain. The index swung lower last week after news of the Omicron variant first emerged, although it remains close to a 16-month high of 96.938 hit last month.