Wall Street Dives, Ends Worst Week Since 2008, as New York, California Impose Restrictions
Wall Street wrapped up its worst week since October 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 sliding more than 4% on Friday as tough restrictions imposed by New York and California to try to limit the…
Wall Street wrapped up its worst week since October 2008, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 sliding more than 4% on Friday as tough restrictions imposed by New York and California to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus fueled worries about damage to the U.S. Economy.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo early on Friday ordered all non-essential workers to stay home. It followed on the heels of California’s statewide “stay at home” order issued late Thursday.
The moves by two of the most populous U.S. states affects some 40 million people. Also, federal authorities this week moved to close the borders with Canada and Mexico, with more than 12,000 cases having been confirmed in the United States as of Friday.
“The equity markets are still trying to get a handle on how bad the Economy is going to be, and I think news of entire states being closed probably qualifies as incrementally negative,” said Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee.
It affects “a lot of economic activity and a lot of businesses,” Delwiche said.
In early trade, the market briefly attempted to build on Thursday’s gains as global policymakers turned on the taps to prop up financial markets reeling from weeks of heavy selling that ended Wall Street’s record 11-year bull run.
Coronavirus fears have wiped off almost 32%, or roughly $9 trillion, from the value of the benchmark S&P index since its record closing high on Feb. 19.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> fell 913.21 points, or 4.55%, to 19,173.98, the S&P 500 <.SPX> lost 104.47 points, or 4.34%, to 2,304.92 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dropped 271.06 points, or 3.79%, to 6,879.52.