Black Friday is Now! Don’t miss out on up to 60% OFF InvestingProCLAIM SALE

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks suffer, Treasury yields plumb new depths as virus spreads

Published 06/03/2020, 03:15
Updated 06/03/2020, 03:18
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks suffer, Treasury yields plumb new depths as virus spreads
USD/JPY
-
US500
-
AXJO
-
JP225
-
LCO
-
ESZ24
-
CL
-
US2YT=X
-
US10YT=X
-
MIAPJ0000PUS
-
CSI300
-

* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

* Tracking the coronavirus: https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7

* Asian stocks fall; CDC warns Americans on virus

* Treasury yields hit record low

* Dollar left damaged by bond market rally

* Oil rises on hopes output cuts to support market

By Stanley White

TOKYO, March 6 (Reuters) - Asian shares and U.S. stock

futures fell on Friday following another Wall Street rout as

disruptions to global business from the coronavirus beyond China

worsened, stoking fears of a prolonged world economic slowdown.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

.MIAPJ0000PUS was down 1.3%. Australian shares .AXJO were

down 1.64%, while Japan's Nikkei stock index .N225 slid 2.29%.

Yields on 10-year U.S. Treasuries fell to a record low and

two-year yields fell to the lowest in more than three years as

investors increased bets that the Federal Reserve will follow

this week's surprise 50 basis point rate cut with further easing

to prevent corporate bond spreads from widening further.

Tumbling yields hammered the dollar, which traded near a

six-month low versus the yen and close to a two-year trough

against the Swiss franc.

Oil prices fell due to worries that non-OPEC oil producers

might not agree to output cuts even though global energy demand

is weakening.

The spread of a new coronavirus has accelerated so much in

Europe, Britain and North America that investors who once played

down the virus are now re-assessing the risks, which means more

volatility in financial markets.

"Optimism overseas is fading and now people are really

starting to question just how bad things will get," said Takuya

Kanda, general manager of research at Gaitame.com Research

Institute in Tokyo.

"For some investors, Treasuries are the only place to park

their money, but for others buying the dollar or stocks is out

of the question."

U.S. stock futures ESc1 erased early gains to trade down

0.12% in Asia on Friday.

The S&P 500 .SPX tumbled 3.39% on Thursday. The benchmark

S&P 500 ended down more than 10% from its Feb. 19 closing high,

after last week logging its biggest weekly percentage decline

since October 2008.

Officials and companies in Britain, France, Italy, and the

United States are struggling to deal with a steady rise in

coronavirus infections that have in some cases triggered

corporate defaults, office evacuations, and panic buying of

daily necessities.

The flu-like virus emerged late last year in the central

Chinese city of Wuhan and has since spread to more than 80

countries and has claimed more than 3,000 lives. New infections

have slowed in China, but there are concerns other countries are

not prepared.

Shares in China CSI300. fell 0.96%, while stocks in Hong

Kong .HIS , another city hard hit by the virus, fell 1.89%.

Travel restrictions and factory closings aimed at curbing

the spread of the virus are expected to put downward pressure on

global economic growth.

Many investors await the release of U.S. non-farm payrolls

later on Friday. Recent U.S. economic data has been encouraging,

but concerns about the epidemic are likely to overshadow any

signs of a strong labour market.

The Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada both responded to the

economic threats by cutting interest rates by 50 basis points

this week.

The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RR

fell to a record low of 0.8980% in Asia Friday. The two-year

yield US2YT=RR fell to 0.5420%, the lowest since July 2016.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said

late on Thursday the Fed could cut rates further if the impact

of the coronavirus is worse than expected. Money markets were pricing in another 25 basis-point-cut

from the current 1% to 1.25% range at the next Fed meeting on

March 18-19 and a 50-basis-point cut by April.

Against the Japanese yen JPY= , the dollar fell to a

six-month low and was last at 106.03 yen. The greenback also

sank to a two-year trough of 0.9447 Swiss franc CHF=EBS .

Sterling GBP=D3 traded near a one-week high versus the

dollar.

The euro EUR=EBS held steady at $1.1225. Markets in the

euro zone are pricing in a 93% chance that the European Central

Bank will cut its deposit rate, now minus 0.50%, by 10 basis

points next week.

U.S. crude CLc1 fell 0.37% to $45.73 a barrel. Brent crude

LCOc1 fell 0.32% to $49.83 per barrel. Worries about a decline

in global demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak and

uncertainty about production cuts hurt crude prices.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.