In European Equity Markets indices traded mixed on Monday as investors continued to assess the potential economic fallout from the pneumonia-like coronavirus. The Shanghai composite rose 1.04%. Elsewhere, Japanese shares fell, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 down 0.64% and the Topix index off by 0.86%. In Australia, the ASX 200 retraced earlier losses to trade fractionally lower by 0.09% as the heavily weighted financial subindex declined 0.7%. South Korea’s Kospi index reversed losses to trade up 0.1%.

In Currency Markets the euro was on the back foot on Monday, as concerns mounted about weakening economic growth in Europe at a time financial markets and policymakers fret about a new threat to the global economy from a fast spreading coronavirus in China. The euro, which hit a 33-month low of $1.0817 on Friday, fetched $1.08385 in early Asian trade on Monday, flat so far on the day but down 2.3% since the start of month. The yen stood at 109.81 yen per dollar, little moved in a tight range for more than a week.

In Commodities Markets oil prices edged lower on Monday as investors brace for economic data in Asia due this week that should give a reading on how China’s coronavirus epidemic has affected oil demand. Brent crude was at $56.99 a barrel, down 33 cents after rising 5.2% last week, the biggest weekly gain since September 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 13 cents to $51.92 a barrel, after a 3.4% gain last week.

In US Equity Markets indices edged lower on Friday as uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus epidemic and downbeat economic data put a damper on investor sentiment. The S&P 500 lost 0.18%, to 3,367.97 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.15%, to 9,697.12. Seven of the 11 major sectors in the S&P 500 were in the red, with energy shares falling the most. NVIDIA Corp jumped 6.9% after the chipmaker’s beat-and-raise earnings report, even as it forecast a $100 million hit from the coronavirus.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields declined on Friday as investors bought safe-haven government debt ahead of a long holiday weekend after soft retail sales data and on continuing caution about the coronavirus epidemic in China. The benchmark 10-year yield was down 3.7 basis points in afternoon trading at 1.5797%. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 2 basis points at 1.4217% in afternoon trading.