Global investors were hit with a sixth day of stock market losses on Thursday, as traders responded to the threat of the coronavirus.
The string of declines pushed indexes in Europe and the US down more than 10% from their recent highs – sending them into so-called “correction” territory.
In the US, the three main indexes were down about 3%, while London’s FTSE 100 closed 3.5% lower.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 led losses in Asia.
Shares there fell more than 2%, while South Korea’s Kospi closed 1% lower and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained about 0.3%. Shanghai was roughly flat.
In the US, the indexes were poised for their the biggest weekly losses since the 2008 financial crisis, with the Dow and S&P retreating to levels last seen in October.
Globally, the share price declines of the last six days have wiped out more than $3.6tn (£2.8tn) in value.
Investors rushed into less risky investments, such as government debt.
www.bbc.com
