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A new variant of the new corona virus appeared in the UK, which is more infectious. Hit by the bad news of the epidemic, market confidence was frustrated. Futures of US stocks fell sharply on Monday (21).
1. Panic reignited the epidemic, European and US stock markets fell sharply
Affected by the bad news of the epidemic, European equities generally slumped and market sentiment took a hit. Pre-trade electronic discs, gold and oil and other commodity prices in US stocks weakened, with only the US dollar being the strongest. US stock futures were largely unchanged on Monday, and Dow Jones futures fell 1.69%, a drop of more than 500 points. S&P 500 futures were down 1.93% and Starck 100 futures were down 1.25%.
The recent pandemic in the UK, especially the emergence of a variant of the new corona virus, has become more contagious, forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s policy to take a sharp turn, announcing an emergency shutdown. , and more than 16 million Britons will have to stay at home.
To avoid restrictions on movement, many Britons rushed out and the train station was filled with people fleeing the capital before the blockade went into effect, regardless of social distancing regulations. European countries are busy blocking the entry of British citizens and have introduced new entry restrictions, prohibiting entry from British flights.
European stocks were the first to suffer the worst of it: the pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 1.9%, a record low in the last two months. The London Financial Times index fell 1.1%, Germany’s DAX fell 2.2%, travel and leisure stocks were hit the hardest, and stocks fell more than 4%.
Before the US stock market, concept travel stocks were also affected by the spread of the declines. Carnival Cruise Line fell 9% before the market, American Airlines fell almost 5%, United Airlines fell 4.4% and Boeing fell more than 4%.
2. The epidemic intensifies, Apple closes almost 100 stores around the world
Due to the heating of the epidemic, Apple (AAPL-US) announced the closure of Apple stores in California since last Friday (19). By Monday in Asia, all 53 California retail stores were forced to close, in addition to Mexico, Brazil and Germany. About 100 Apple stores around the world have been temporarily closed.
Apple’s current wave of store closings began in the Los Angeles area last Friday and then announced the closure of its stores in the San Francisco Bay area. This is also Apple’s largest store closure plan since the epidemic closed in March.
As of yet, Apple has not disclosed the specific date the affected stores will reopen, with only some stores allowing pickup before December 22.
Most other Apple stores in the US that are still open only allow pickup and pre-counter appointments, but in-store shopping and browsing are not allowed. In all stores, Apple requires the use of masks, restricts the use of stores, conducts temperature controls, implements social distancing measures and performs periodic deep cleaning.
3. The US FDA approves the right of emergency use of the Modern vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of Modern Covid-19 Vaccine (MRNA-US) on Friday (18), which is the second vaccine approved in the United States after Pfizer (PFE-USA) / BioNTech The vaccine used is expected to distribute approximately 5.9 million doses of Moderna vaccine in 64 states, territories and major cities in the United States next week.
In addition, Gustave Perna, head of “Quick Action,” said in an interview on Monday that in addition to the Moderna vaccine next week, the United States also plans to deliver 2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
The US government announced last week that it would purchase an additional 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine. Previously, the US government struck a deal with Moderna in August to purchase 100 million doses at a price of approximately $ 1.5 billion. $ 37. Moderna is currently in talks with the US government about a bigger and cheaper vaccine purchase deal.
4. Trump signed a foreign company liability law targeting China
US President Trump signed the Foreign Companies Liability Act on Friday (18). Unless Chinese companies agree to audits reviewed by US regulators, Chinese companies listed on the US Stock Exchange may be delisted. This measure may affect Alibaba. , Baidu and other Chinese corporate giants, and further exacerbated the tension between the two countries.
The Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act was easily passed by the Senate in May this year and also received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives earlier this month. Although the scope of the bill applies to companies outside the United States, the sponsors stated that the project’s purpose is to target China.
Chinese companies have used the US capital market and US dollar financing as one of the key funds for business development for many years. Although the bill’s exclusion clause will be implemented in stages, companies will be fined if they fail to comply with regulations for three consecutive years. Chinese companies that comply with auditing standards constitute real harm.
After the signing of this bill, whether or not it is implemented is still up to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said Friday that he will make sure the SEC’s plan complies with the bill signed by Trump.
5. Amazon announced the closure of the New Jersey stores.
The new epidemic of corona pneumonia continues to spread in the United States. With the recent increase in the number of employee infections, Amazon (AMZN-US) announced the closure of its warehouses in northern New Jersey, and it is estimated that it will continue until December 26.
Related employees recently received news that PNE5’s New Jersey plant will be temporarily closed. Amazon spokeswoman Lisa Levandowski said in a statement that Amazon employees will continue to receive due compensation after the factory closes, noting that the closure of PNE5’s warehouse as a sorting center will not cause serious damage to operations or distribution. of the company. influences.
Levandowski said that through Amazon’s new internal corona pneumonia test, the number of confirmed asymptomatic cases at the PNE5 plant in northern New Jersey was found to be increasing. Out of caution, the company voluntarily closed the site until December 26.
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