US Global Stock Markets Fall after Trump Tests Positive for Coronavirus
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Global markets and US stock futures were roiled on Friday after US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania tested positive for Covid-19.
The diagnosis raises questions about the course of a presidential election that’s only a month away.
Dow (INDU)futures were last down 370 points, or 1.3%, after falling more than 450 points just after Trump tweeted his condition. S&P 500 (SPX) futures were down 1.3% and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were down 1.6%, CNN reported.
"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," Trump tweeted shortly before 1 a.m. ET Friday. "We will get through this TOGETHER!"
Stocks in Asia Pacific also slid on the news. Japan's Nikkei 225 (N225) dropped 0.7%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.4%. Other markets in the region, including those in Hong Kong, mainland China and South Korea, are closed for public holidays. European stocks opened lower, with the FTSE 100 (UKX) dropping 0.7% in London, while France's CAC 40 (CAC40) shed 1% and Germany's DAX (DAX) declined 1.1%.
Oil futures also tumbled. US crude futures fell 2.8% to $37.62 per barrel, while Brent, the world oil benchmark, lost 2.8% to hit $39.79 per barrel. Both had settled lower on Thursday.
US stock futures were already trending lower earlier as the fate of a massive US stimulus plan remained uncertain, and as news broke that top Trump aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus.