US stocks join global rout on virus, Dow ends -3.6%
PTI, Feb 25, 2020, 1:51 PM IST
New York: Wall Street stocks finished with steep losses on Monday, joining a global rout as worries mounted that the new coronavirus will derail economic growth.
The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 3.6 per cent to 27,960.80, a drop of more than 1,000 points and the biggest loss in a session in more than two years.
The broad-based S&P 500 slumped 3.4 per cent to 3,225.89, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 3.7 per cent to 9,221.28.
The selloff left all 11 industrial sectors in the red, with energy and technology shares suffering the biggest losses. Airlines and other travel-oriented stocks were also hammered.
Analysts attributed the ugly session to the news that the coronavirus had spread over the weekend more rapidly outside of China. Italy has locked down 11 towns and South Korea ordered all 2.5 million residents of the city of Daegu to remain indoors.
“The market reaction is a classic ‘sell now and ask questions later,'” said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist for Prudential Financial.
Krosby said the virus has come on the heels of an earnings season in which companies were “remarkably positive” about the outlook, lifting equities to records.
“What is the effect on global growth if this continues and, therefore, what is the effect on corporate earnings?” Krosby asked.
Several members of the Dow lost almost five per cent, including Apple, Exxon Mobil, American Express and Walgreens Boots Alliance.
American Airlines plunged 8.5 per cent, while Marriott International tumbled 5.9 per cent and Booking Holdings 7.1 per cent.
An exception was Gilead Sciences, which surged 4.6 per cent following upbeat comments from a World Health Organization official about the company’s remdesivir, an experimental drug to treat the virus.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Nifty, Sensex rally for 6th day running on firm Asian peers; Tech Mahindra jumps over 12%
IndiGo, Air India plan to purchase up to 170 wide-body planes in little over a year
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares tank 13%; mcap erodes by Rs 37,721 crore post RBI action
Four-day market rally makes investors richer by Rs 8.48 lakh crore
Kotak Bank barred from onboarding customers online, issuing fresh credit cards
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Banjarumale hamlet in Belthangady records 100 per cent voting
Board exams twice a year from 2025: MoE asks CBSE to work out logistics, no plan for semesters
There is a lot left in the tank: Du Plessis on RCB snaping six-game losing streak
Lok Sabha 2024: Tribal hamlet of Banjarumale in Belthangady records 100% voter turnout
Padubidri: Speeding car collides with electric pole, one dead