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Equities, oil prices, U.S. Treasury yields all drop on COVID variant fears

Published 11/25/2021, 08:01 PM
Updated 11/26/2021, 08:26 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Passersby wearing protective masks are reflected on an electronic board displaying stock prices outside a brokerage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan, September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Passersby wearing protective masks are reflected on an electronic board displaying stock prices outside a brokerage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan, September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

By Chris Prentice and Carolyn Cohn

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Shares tumbled on Wall Street on Friday as they reopened after Thanksgiving, while European stocks saw their biggest sell-off in 17 months and oil prices plunged by $10 per barrel as fears over a new coronavirus variant sent investors scurrying to safe-haven assets.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday designated a new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa with a large number of mutations as being "of concern," the fifth variant to be given the designation.

Unofficially, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 2.53% at 34,899.34 in its largest percentage drop in more than a year. The S&P 500 lost 2.27%, its worst one-day drop since Feb. 25, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.23%, the biggest one-day route in two months.

U.S. markets closed early on Friday after being shut all day on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The benchmark STOXX 600 index ended 3.7% lower on the day, leaving it down 4.5% for the week. The volatility gauge for the main stock market hit its highest in nearly 10 months.

Companies that had benefited from an easing of COVID-related restrictions this year, including AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), plane engine maker Rolls Royce (LON:RR), easyJet (LON:EZJ), United Airlines and Carnival (NYSE:CUK) Corp all fell.

Retailers dropped as Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season, kicked off as the new variant fuelled concerns about low store traffic and inventory issues.

In Europe, the travel and leisure index plummeted 8.8% in its worst day since the COVID-19 shock sell-off in March 2020.

"Bottom line is this is showing that COVID is still the investor narrative, a lot of today’s movement is driven by the South African variant," said Greg Bassuk, chief executive officer of AXS Investments in Port Chester, New York.

"We have been talking about four or five factors that have been driving the last couple of months' activity – inflation fears, some economic data, Fed policy – but what we have seen over the last year is that big developments with respect to COVID really have ended up eclipsing some of those other factors by a substantial degree and that is what is driving today’s market activity."

Little is known of the variant detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, but scientists said it has an unusual combination of mutations and may be able to evade immune responses or make the virus more transmissible.

Britain said the new variant was the most significant variant to date and was one of several countries to impose travel restrictions on southern Africa.

The European Commission also said it wanted to consider suspending travel from countries where the new variant has been identified, though the WHO cautioned against hastily imposing such restrictions.

Global shares fell 1.81%, their biggest down day in more than a year. France's CAC 40 shed 4.8%. The UK's FTSE 100 dropped 3.6%, while Germany's DAX fell 4.2% and Spain's IBEX lost 5.0%.

Malaysian rubber glove maker Supermax, which soared 1500% during the first wave of the pandemic, leapt 15%.

MSCI's index of Asian shares outside Japan dropped 2.44%, its sharpest fall since late July.

In commodities, oil prices plunged. Gold prices reversed earlier gains seen amid the move away from riskier assets.

U.S. crude was last down 12%, at $69.02 per barrel by 1:21 p.m. EST (1812 GMT). Brent crude dropped 10.5% to $73.59.

Spot gold prices were down 0.09%.

As investors dashed for safe-haven assets, the Japanese yen strengthened 1.87% versus the greenback, while sterling was last trading at $1.3331, up 0.08% on the day.

The dollar index fell 0.757%, with the euro up 1% to $1.1318.

U.S. Treasury debt yields posted their sharpest drop since the pandemic began. Treasuries benchmark 10-year notes last rose to yield 1.4867%. The 2-year note last rose to yield 0.4941%, from 0.644%. [US/]

"A flight to safety is underway with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield down," said Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer at Truist Advisory Services. "The proximate cause of the sell-off is yesterday’s announcement of a new COVID-19 variant in South Africa, which investors fear could weigh on economic growth."

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A U.S. one dollar banknote is seen in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration taken May 7, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The market swings come against a backdrop of already growing concern about COVID-19 outbreaks driving restrictions on movement and activity in Europe and beyond.

Markets had previously been upbeat about the strength of economic recovery, despite growing inflation fears.

Latest comments

search: the fall of cabal by Janet Ossebaard it's a good series with red pill information.
a big crash was just announced, if you stay long not to worry, but if you need the money better ruch to sell on Monday.
Just wait 2 months and we'll be back to record highs again. All this panic usually doesn't last very long. I'm a buy and hold investor, so I don't worry about the fluctuations in the short term anyway.
Pretty short sighted. If you look at the data you see that the vaccine is effective in preventing hospitalisations. Of course our immune systems work to fight viruses, but vaccines help to put your immune system to work, in order to prevent infections. Are you suggesting that vaccines don't work? Because historical data suggest otherwise.
I am thinking two weeks for Santa rally and we back to ath
If humans hadn't been so pompous as to think they could beat this with vaccines, it'd be gone by now. Instead we have given China's gift enough time and cause to mutate, I said it since the beginning this thing is gonna get every last human on Earth before it's done. It will eventually go away though. Reuters is wrong about that
Time to invest in this tech revolution. In every revolution, blood must be shed. Just stay calm if your portfolio is well diversified, no the time bomb lanes the likes of airlines. Enjoy Cyber Monday and be ready for the change.
simple advise for sane people on the forum ... there r only three possibilities..1. this strain is not lethal , so There won't be COVID in 6 mth, so markets will fully recover , so don't worry ..2. this strain is lethal , so don't worry of money, bcoz u won't be there 😉3. both covid and u live together, so nothing to worry ..simple ... so stay invested ..
Market can not crash for the same reason twice ...yes .. it can react momentarily...find some other reason other than Covid( factored in ), FED taper ( factored in ) , interest rate hike( factored in ) ... rate of fed taper is something which can give surprise.. but new varient and possible curbs will only lead to slow tapering .. hence only two people should sell now .. first those sitting on huge profits should book profit and second thosr who are Fools ..
Don’t we still know about patients infected by new variant. I am eager to know how they’re doing. That could best way for layman to know if new variant is lethal.
But ultimately stocks will rise againhence don't feel panic.Instead add quality stocks to your portfolio but in staggered manner
That buy back up is going to be beautiful
Further sell off may be seen in coming sessins.
Media hypes it up so they can push oil, stock price down for the rich and Biden. Biden will declare history for ‘lease reserve oil’ without realeasing any drop.
great ...Biden is finally using tactics to get the oil cartels to do what's good for American consumers.
Biden doesn't know what shoe goes on which foot. unquote
green on Monday
I think the FUD will continue a little longer. But after it passes we will see record highs.
green on Tuesday
Fed rate hikes will be on a halt now equities will jump as even 10y bond yields at 1.48
naa people dumping equities for dollars thwn dumping dollars for anything that isn't dollars
rich people sell their stock on black Friday, poor people go shopping
Covid-19 & 2020 March Sell-off   2.0 ?
mutation rate of this variant is very high. Bad days are coming.
It depends on where you live and you socioeconomic status.  The rich actually gets richer during Covid.
Chong, what they do know his has 5x the mutation rate of gamma variant, which is unusual and potentially very dangerous.
 thats not the pint... the point is markets will crash... do you get it??.. why is not the issue
The real crash will only come when the fed says they are taking their put out of the table and then actually do it. till then it's all thin air fake crashes
fund managers were nervous sitting on their pile of unbooked profits and fearing that the music would stop and they don't get a chair. So as soon as the saw the new variety or whatever they used it as a excused to sell during thin volume Thanksgiving period. then it snowballs a bit and we get today's correction. we'll get a few more days of volatility, including new lows probably and then Uncle Sam will come to rescue again. Anybody can hear the headlines? "covid worsening situation globally makes the fed slow down their tapering and delay rate hikes until 2023 at least ...blablabalh
very close to accurate
https://selfcareapp-links.cellcard.com.kh
virus fears ... lmao get out of here 😂
The media has become the virus, infecting the minds of the masses into believing their God given immune systems are incapable of doing what they were designed to do.
I think you mean experimental gene therapy. Don’t call this a vaccine. There is a reason we don’t want it, well actually like 30 readons.
What god? Any evidence to your claims?
 Yes, lots.  https://crossexamined.org/does-god-exist/
soho still pushing your conspiracies theories...
I am in south Africa. we are VERY sure that this varient....if it really exists, must be a bio weapon. watch next week.. headlines...vaccines still effective against NU. pushing the sheep to get vaccinated by propaganda.
are the people complaining that biden made oil prices go up now going to thank him now for -13% today?
I don't know Jon, but I think that is what Trump and his supporters would like to say.
oh dear. I was about to hammer them both. then I saw this. Couldn't have said it better.
Are you saying we should be grateful to Biden for virus fear in the market?  Though politicians (see Europe) will try to take advantage of the fear, the fear will pass, & people will again look to see how their leaders are leading.  Quickly, Biden's policies will pick up where they left off - crushing US energy production & the poor who have to pay high gas prices.
this is what the left loves. a good market crash. more people getting po.or and getting stuck in their net.
this is what the left loves. a good market crash. more people getting poor and getting stuck in their net.
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