SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday after two sessions of sharp gains as investors tempered their optimism about the coronavirus while death tolls were still mounting across the globe.
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
While the number of COVID-19 hospitalisations seemed to be levelling off in New York state, deaths across the United States jumped by a record of more than 1,800.
Mainland China’s new coronavirus cases also doubled in 24 hours due to infected travellers returning from overseas.
Adding to the uncertainty were wild swings in the oil market, where prices rebounded in Asia after sliding on Tuesday, leaving traders feeling dizzy.
U.S. crude futures jumped 6.4% to $25.18 a barrel, having shed 9.4% the session before, while Brent cr