• The Coronavirus outbreak is having a significant impact on the global economy and markets.
  • $6 trillion has been wiped off the value of a basket of nearly 7,000 stocks.
  • From interest rates to oil prices, other areas of the global economy are also set the feel the effect.

Capitulation? Perhaps.

The rapid worldwide spread of coronavirus and the economic implications of the outbreak have triggered the biggest weekly stock market rout since the 2008 financial crisis, wiping $6 trillion off global equities.

With travel plans and conferences canceled, airlines grounded and even the Tokyo Olympic Games in doubt, economists are busily slashing their forecasts for company earnings and economic growth.

Have you read?

Bond markets are certainly screaming warnings of recession, with U.S. and German 10-year yields falling 20 basis points on the week, the latter hitting record lows. Even gold, that ultimate safe-haven, fell as traders scrambled to meet margin calls triggered by the big stock market slide.

Below are a series of charts detailing the scale of the damage so far in financial markets.

1. Everybody hurt

Almost every single stock index in the world has spiraled lower but developed markets have borne the brunt. Winners of the week were high-grade government bonds that benefited from the safety bid and rate cut expectations.

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Almost every stock market in the world has been negatively affected.
Image: Refinitive Datastream

2/ $6 trillion and counting...

A basket of nearly 7,000 stocks including developed, emerging and frontier markets have lost nearly $6 trillion or more than 10% of their value since Monday, according to Refinitiv DataStream.

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7,000 stocks have collectively lost $6 trillion of their market value.
Image: Refinitive Datastream

3/ Bears prowl

A 10% drop is deemed to bring a stock or index into correction territory while a 20% slump is a bear market. By that yardstick, almost 80% of South Korean shares, and more than half of Japanese and emerging market shares and a third of the German index have entered bear territory.

Coronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly women business businesswoman businessman corporation corporate finance wall street stock exchange capitalism private ownership board c-suite CEOs CFOs corporation united states us america wall street change gender parity equality goldman sachs davos industry representation fair finance fiscal financial economics economies trading trade price money profit value men male female change changing 2020 future taxation tax wealth gross domestic product gdp
Almost 80% of South Korea's stocks are in 'bear territory'
Image: Refinitive Datastream

4/ Oil slick

Fears of a demand collapse caused by recession are weighing heavily on commodities. Oil prices are headed for their steepest weekly fall in four years, and having fallen nearly a third from 2020-highs, are in a bear market too. Meanwhile, gold hovered near 7-year highs.

Coronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly women business businesswoman businessman corporation corporate finance wall street stock exchange capitalism private ownership board c-suite CEOs CFOs corporation united states us america wall street change gender parity equality goldman sachs davos industry representation fair finance fiscal financial economics economies trading trade price money profit value men male female change changing 2020 future taxation tax wealth gross domestic product gdp
The price of oil has fallen, while the price of gold has risen.
Image: Refinitive Datastream

5/ Attention Powell, Lagarde & Co

Money markets are betting central banks will slash interest rates fast and frequently.

They now price a full 25 basis point U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut as soon as March, more than two rate reductions by June and more than three by September. The shift has halted the dollar’s rise and its safe haven status =USD.

The European Central Bank is forecast to reduce its minus 0.5% rate by 10 basis points as soon as June.

Coronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly women business businesswoman businessman corporation corporate finance wall street stock exchange capitalism private ownership board c-suite CEOs CFOs corporation united states us america wall street change gender parity equality goldman sachs davos industry representation fair finance fiscal financial economics economies trading trade price money profit value men male female change changing 2020 future taxation tax wealth gross domestic product gdp
Money markets are predicting central banks will slash interest rates.
Image: Refinitive Datastream

6/ Vol squall

Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX index’s closing high has spiked to levels last seen 2011 at the height of euro zone debt crisis while long dormant currency volatility is also stirring. That’s bad news for traders who have been shorting low-yield currencies such as euro and Japanese yen because any rise in volatility can quickly wipe out these trades. That can send panicked investors scrambling to buy back those currencies.

Coronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly women business businesswoman businessman corporation corporate finance wall street stock exchange capitalism private ownership board c-suite CEOs CFOs corporation united states us america wall street change gender parity equality goldman sachs davos industry representation fair finance fiscal financial economics economies trading trade price money profit value men male female change changing 2020 future taxation tax wealth gross domestic product gdp
Wall Street's fear gauge is at its highest in nearly a decade.
Image: Refinitive Datastream