Global shares skidded Wednesday as reports of rising numbers of coronavirus cases deepened the gloom over the likely impact on the world economy.
France’s CAC 40 slipped 3.6 per cent to 4,241.02 in early trading, while Germany’s DAX shed 2.9 per cent to 9,648.42. Britain’s FTSE 100 plunged 3.9 per cent to 5,450.63 after major banks announced they were scrapping dividend payments, bringing their share prices sharply lower.
U.S. shares were set to drift lower with Dow futures down 3.2 per cent at 21,070.50. S&P 500 futures dipped 3.4 per cent to 2,496.97.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 4.5 per cent to finish at 18,065.41. The Bank of Japan’s quarterly survey, or “tankan,” showed sentiment among Japan’s large manufacturers fell in the