TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Asian shares and Wall Street futures stepped back on Thursday as resurgent concerns about the long-term impact of the coronavirus outbreak offset some of this week’s earlier enthusiasm about economies re-opening.
FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective face masks, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), look at a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
Investors were also looking ahead to a key policy gathering in China that may yield more economic stimulus, while recent data from around the world reinforced views that a sustainable recovery may not come for several months.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.1%, having rallied around 3% so far this week. S&P 500 e-mini stock futures fell 0.54%.
Euro Stoxx 50 futures were down 1.02%, German DAX futures fell 0.92%, and FTSE futures were off 0.58%, pointing to a soft session in Europe.
Broad risk appetite has been checked somewhat by escalating tensions between the United States and China due to President Donald Trump’s criticism of Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Australian