Asian stocks have fallen, widening losses due to growing concerns about a new potentially more infectious strain of coronavirus that has countries around the world restricting travel to the UK
Outbreaks raise concerns that the world economy could face even heavier penalties.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo fell 0.5% to 26,595.52. In Hong Kong, Hang Seng fell 0.2% to 26,262.02. Kospi in South Korea fell 0.6% to 2,760.93. In Australia, the S & P / ASX 200 dropped 0.7% to 6,626.70. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.4% to 3,406.30.
With new uncertainties, “investors seem to be going to Asia more cautiously this morning, becoming more selective and probably waiting for the new mutant virus to be better understood before aggressively throwing itself back into the wagon vaccinated with airlines, travel and entertainment, ”Stephen Innes told Axi in a comment.
Shares, oil prices and Treasury yields fell on Monday, a sign that investors are worried about the economy.
News of the new potentially more infectious strain of coronavirus has countries around the world restricting travel in the United Kingdom. This worries traders about the possible economic consequences if it spreads to other countries or proves resistant to the vaccines now distributed.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put London and the south-east of England on a new level of restrictions, after scientific advisers warned that they had detected the new variant of the coronavirus. There is no evidence that mutations in the new strain make it more deadly, but it appears to be more easily infected than others.
The S&P 500 was down 1.4% to 3,694.92. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.1% to 30,216.45. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1% to 12,742.52. The Russell 2000 low-capitalization index rose 0.1% to 1,970.33.
The encouraging news in Washington has helped keep sales under control. Congress finally approved a $ 900 billion aid effort for the economy, which includes $ 600 cash payments for most Americans, additional benefits for laid-off workers, and other financial support.
Economists and investors have been asking for such aid for months, and a recent surge in talks has pushed stock prices up in anticipation of an agreement. Analysts said some traders may have sold to block profits, with trade-offs almost assured and prices close to the highest. Even after Monday’s decline, the S&P 500 only returned to where it was earlier this month.
Across the Atlantic, negotiators have exceeded the deadline set on Sunday for negotiations on trade conditions for the UK’s exit from the European Union. Investors have been determined about the progress of these talks, as a Brexit without an agreement could cause massive disruption to companies on New Year’s Day.
Monday was also the first trading day for Tesla since joining the S&P 500 index. The electric vehicle maker has risen so much this year to nearly 731% since Friday night that some critics say its price it does not make sense. But its inclusion in the benchmark triggered $ 90.3 billion in trading, as the company instantly became the sixth largest in the S&P 500. Tesla fell 6.5% on Monday.
The 10-year treasury yield remained at 0.93%.
The US crude oil benchmark lost 27 cents to $ 47.70 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It dropped $ 1.27 on Monday to $ 47.97 a barrel.
Crude brent, the international standard, fell 23 cents to $ 50.68 a barrel.
The dollar rose to 103.41 Japanese yen from 103.31 yen on Monday. The euro fell from $ 1.2243 to $ 1.2232.
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AP Business writers Stan Stan and Alex Veiga contributed.