MTS Help Center

·         Stocks dip as new COVID-19 strain darkens recovery prospects

Asian shares widened losses on Tuesday, extending a pullback from multi-year highs hit last week on fears a highly infectious new strain of COVID-19 that hit Britain could lead to a slower global economic recovery.

Sentiment continue to sour with FTSE futures down 0.14% and E-mini futures for the S&P 500 index off 0.29%, even as the U.S. Congress on Monday approved a long-awaited $892 billion coronavirus aid package

MSCI’s gauge of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan fell 0.75%. Hang Seng Index further slipped 0.63% and China’s benchmark CSI300 Index declined 0.35%.

 

·         Nikkei hits 3-week low as new virus strain damps recovery hopes

Japanese shares plumbed three-week lows on Tuesday, as investors took profits from stellar gains over the past couple of months on concerns that a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain found in Britain could disrupt a swift global economic recovery.

 

The Nikkei average fell 1.04%, the biggest drop in about a month, to 26,436.39, its lowest close since late November. It fell below its 25-day moving average for the first time since the start of the rally following U.S. elections in early November.

 

The broader Topix lost 1.56% to 1,761.12, with all the 33 sector sub-indexes on the Tokyo exchange ending lower.

 

The market was also weighed down by rising concerns over domestic virus infections as Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Monday urged the capital’s 14 million residents to stay at home during the upcoming holiday season.

 

·         China stocks fall on Sino-U.S. tensions, new virus strain

China stocks ended lower on Tuesday, falling the most in nearly four months on concerns over persisting Sino-U.S. tensions and a more contagious new strain of the coronavirus found in the UK hurting swift global economic recovery.

 

Countries across the globe shut their borders to Britain on Monday due to fears about a highly infectious new coronavirus strain.

 

At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was down 1.86% at 3,356.78, its biggest one-day percentage drop since Sept. 3, and the blue-chip CSI300 index closing 1.63% lower in its worst session since Oct. 30.

 ·         European stocks open higher despite concerns over new coronavirus strain

European shares were higher Tuesday morning, attempting to recover from a brutal sell-off in the previous session, as investors sentiment was shaken by a new coronavirus strain in the U.K.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 traded 0.8% higher, with Germany’s DAX index rising nearly 0.9%. Britain’s FTSE 100 bucked the trend to fall around 0.2%. Banking stocks were the top gainers, up 1.2%, with Lloyds climbing over 3% to lead the sector.

 

Reference: CNBC, Reuters