BEIJING – Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower Wednesday after European governments extended anti-coronavirus lockdowns, clouding the outlook for economic recovery.
Market benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong retreated. Overnight, Wall Street gave up most of the previous day's gains as technology, industrial and bank stocks fell.
Investor confidence was shaken after Germany, Europe's biggest economy, and the Netherlands extended lockdowns and imposed new travel and business curbs in response to spikes in infection.
The World Health Organization said the weekly global death toll from the virus is rising again following six weeks of declines.