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U.S. stocks hit record highs. Korea's ban on short selling may backfire. The pandemic will be over in 7.4 years.

A growing number of fund managers and traders are worried that South Korea’s pandemic-imposed ban on short-selling, the world’s longest-such restriction, has artificially propped up the country’s stock market rally. Korea, whose benchmark surged last year and is up 7.5% in 2021, this week bowed to retail investor pressure and extended the ban, but that could backfire. Indonesia will lift a ban this month, while countries including France, which restricted short-selling early last year, only kept restrictions for a few months.