Asian shares slump, bonds rally as virus fears grow

TOKYO (Reuters): Asian shares fell yesterday as a US warning to Americans to prepare for the possibility of a coronavirus pandemic drove another Wall Street tumble and pushed yields on safe-haven Treasuries to record lows.

The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both shed more than 3% on Tuesday in their fourth straight session of losses.

That led MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan down 1.28%. Japan was among the worst-performing market in the region, weighed by growing concerns the virus could cancel the Tokyo Olympics.

Yields on 10-year and 30-year US Treasuries teetered near record lows and gold rose as worries about the economic impact of the virus outbreak boosted safe-haven assets.

The World Health Organization says the epidemic has peaked in China, but concern that its spread is accelerating in other countries is likely to keep investors on edge.

Chinese shares fell 1.3%. Shares in South Korea, which has been rattled by a sudden rise in virus infections, briefly hit a two-month low.

While the stock rout has been global, the recent pace of selling in Asia has not been as severe as it has on Wall Street, which has been hit hard by the escalation of virus cases outside of Asia.

The S&P 500 lost $2.14 trillion in market capitalisation over the last four sessions, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices analyst Howard Silverblatt.

US stock futures rose 0.2% in Asia yesterday, but that did little to brighten the mood.

Adding to recent fears was an alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday warning Americans to prepare for the spread of coronavirus in the United States, signaling a change in tone for the Atlanta-based U.S. health agency.

The virus has claimed almost 3,000 lives in mainland China but has spread to dozens of other countries. Of increasing concern to investors, however, in the rising death toll in other countries.

Drastic travel restrictions slammed the brakes on China’s manufacturing and consumer spending, and there are worries other countries will face similar disruptions.

The virus has also hit Japan’s stocks hard on rising worries it could lead to cancellation of the 2020 Summer Olympics scheduled to start in Tokyo in July.

Japan’s Nikkei stock index slid 1.1%, while shares of Japan’s Dentsu Group Inc., an advertising agency deeply involved in the planning and operation of the games, fell to a seven-year low on Wednesday.

Shares of sportswear makers and other companies related to the Olympics have also fallen recently.

The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes traded at 1.3421% yesterday in Asia, close to a record low of 1.3070%. The 30-year yield stood at 1.8142%, above a record low of 1.7860%.

The decline in yields weighed on the dollar. The greenback was last quoted at 110.25 yen, continuing a pullback from a 10-month high of 112.23 yen.

The dollar traded at $ 1.0872 per euro, off an almost three-year high of $1.0778 reached on Feb. 20.

Spot gold rose 0.53% to $ 1,643.75 per ounce as investors sought safe havens.