(Updates prices)
* Graphic: World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Luxury and travel stocks drop across the board
* Yen, Treasuries gain on safe-haven move; USD slips
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Risk assets took a hit across
the globe on Tuesday while the Japanese yen and U.S. Treasury
prices gained as financial markets reacted to mounting concern
about a new strain of flu-like virus in China.
The World Health Organization called a meeting for Wednesday
to consider declaring a global health emergency while
authorities in China confirmed the coronavirus could spread
through human contact. The mayor of Wuhan, where the virus may
have originated, confirmed a sixth virus-related death.
Investors worried about the threat of contagion as hundreds
of millions travel for the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays,
which peak over the coming weekend. Traders recalled the fallout
from a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in
2002-2003 that killed about 800 people globally and which China
initially covered up.
Emerging market stocks lost 1.58%. MSCI's broadest index of
Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS closed 1.63%
lower, while Japan's Nikkei .N225 lost 0.91%. Hong Kong, which suffered badly during the SARS outbreak,
saw its index .HSI fall 2.8%. The overnight chill in Asia carried over to European
markets. Shares of luxury goods makers - which have large
exposure to China - were among those declining the most.
A U.S. index of airline stocks fell 2.3% and hotel and
casino operators Las Vegas Sands Corp LVS.N and Wynn Resorts
Ltd WYNN.O , both of which have large operations in China,
dropped over 4%. The virus outbreak "seems to be the biggest negative," said
Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg,
Florida. "We may see U.S. markets try to spit it out because it
doesn't have that much of an impact on U.S. economy."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 20.99 points,
or 0.07%, to 29,327.11, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.13 points, or
0.03%, to 3,328.49 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 1.12
points, or 0.01%, to 9,390.06. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 lost 0.16%
and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed
0.29%.
In other markets, U.S.- and German 10-year government bond
yields touched a two week low while the safe-haven yen JPY=
strengthened 0.23% versus the dollar at 109.95. "The fear is that it could be a SARS-type event, which was
an economic issue," said Ellis Phifer, market strategist at
Raymond James in Tennessee. "But this is all cautionary. The
market is not panicking or anything."
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR last rose 16/32 in price
to yield 1.7795%, from 1.835% late on Friday. Monday was a U.S.
market holiday. The dollar index .DXY fell 0.04%, with the euro EUR=
down 0.04% to $1.109.
Sterling GBP= was last trading at $1.3051, up 0.32% on the
The Australian dollar AUD= dropped on the flu worries
since the country attracts large numbers of Chinese tourists,
who tend to be big spenders over the Lunar New Year holidays.
Some investors were relieved that U.S. President Donald
Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron seemed to have struck
a truce over a proposed digital tax. They agreed to hold off on
a potential tariffs war until the end of the year, a French
diplomatic source said. A tariff war between China and the United States was blamed
for the economic growth slowdown of last year.
U.S. gold futures GCc1 fell 0.22% to $1,555.40 an ounce.
Oil prices were mixed on expectations that a well-supplied
market would be able to absorb disruptions that have cut Libya's
crude production to a trickle. U.S. crude CLc1 rose 0.17% to $58.64 per barrel and Brent
LCOc1 was last at $64.98, down 0.34% on the day.