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REFILE-UPDATE 1-FTSE slides past Brexit lows as airlines sink

Published 12/03/2020, 10:57
Updated 12/03/2020, 10:58
© Reuters.  REFILE-UPDATE 1-FTSE slides past Brexit lows as airlines sink
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* FTSE 100 down 5.8%, FTSE 250 drops 7%
* Miners, Oil majors, travel stocks lead declines
* All stocks across indices traded in the red

By Shivani Kumaresan and Devik Jain
March 12 (Reuters) - London's stock market fell past 2016
Brexit referendum lows on Thursday as a shock U.S. ban on
European travellers sent shares in already hard-pressed British
Airways ICAG.L and other airlines down by almost another 10%.
The bluechip FTSE 100 .FTSE , at one point, slid past 2016
lows to touch levels not seen since the height of the European
debt crisis in 2012.
The index was last down 5.8% at 5535.54 points, with all the
stocks trading in the red.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended travel
from Europe to the United States for 30 days to limit the spread
of the coronavirus. Although the United Kingdom was spared from
the travel restrictions, fears were widespread over its impact
on the travel sector. Shares of British Airways ICAG.L , EasyJet EZJ.L and WIZZ
Air WIZZ.L , which have already had to axe flights to and from
Italy, fell between 6% and 10%. Symbolic of the extent of economic damage from the outbreak,
cinema operator Cineworld CINE.L shed more than 30% as it said
that in the worst-case scenario, the outbreak could cast doubt
over its ability "to continue as a going concern." The FTSE index has shed about 28% since its January peak, as
the heavy blow from the outbreak shook investor confidence
despite the Bank of England's emergency move to cut interest
rates by 50 basis points and the UK government's 30
billion-pound ($39 billion) stimulus plan. "Each time that you've seen stimulus announced, any rebound
has been very short-lived," said Joshua Mahony, senior market
analyst at IG. "That's because you can't cure someone of a virus
and the need to quarantine by giving them cheaper interest
rates, or quantitive easing."
The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a
pandemic on Wednesday, followed by Trump's travel ban that
sparked an end to the longest bull run in U.S. stock market
history, sinking the Dow Jones Industrial Average index into
bear market territory. .N
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency meeting
on Thursday at which he is expected to approve moving to the
"delay phase" of the coronavirus response. Oil majors BP Plc BP.L and Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L
slipped between 3% and 5%, as oil prices took another blow from
the dramatic move by Trump. O/R
Among other stocks, specialist pension provider Just Group
JUSTJ.L slipped 5.2% after posting lower annual profit hurt by
tough operating environment. Shopping mall operator Intu Properties INTUP.L slid 15.5%
as it flagged doubts over its continuity and posted wider annual
loss hurt by decline in real estate valuations against a tough
retail backdrop.

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