In Asian Equity Markets stocks declined on Friday trade as fears over the spread of the coronavirus globally drove investors to safety. Japanese stocks were among the biggest losers regionally as the Nikkei 225 fell 4.14%. The Shanghai composite was down 3.37%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 2.69%. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi was down 3.09% while the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia fell 3%.  The rapid spread of the coronavirus outside of China, has weighed on sentiment in recent days over its potential impact on economic growth.

In Currency Markets the Japanese yen returned as a beacon of safety on Friday, hitting a one-month high against the dollar as deepening worries about coronavirus sent global financial markets into a tailspin. It rose half a percent to a month-high of 109.03 per greenback on Friday, leaving the dollar heading for its worst week on the Japanese currency in more than three years.The Australian dollar tanked 0.5% to a fresh 11-year low on the dollar, but it lost twice as much against the yen.

In Commodities Markets oil prices fell for a sixth straight session on Friday and were on track for about a 12% weekly fall, the biggest in more than four years, as the spread of the coronavirus outside China raised fears of slowing global demand. The virus, which has killed more than 2,700 people in China, has been found in another 46 countries and caused 57 deaths. The most active Brent crude contract for May was down 90 cents, or 1.7%, at $50.83 a barrel, a 14-month low. The front-month April contract expires today.

In US Equity Markets indexes fell for the sixth straight session on Thursday, reaching a territory that could mark a nosedive from record highs last week amid a global spread of coronavirus that intensified fears about growth and earnings. The S&P 500 was down 0.97%, at 3,086.06. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.28%, at 8,865.46. All of the 11 S&P sectors were trading lower with technology , financials, energy and real estate sectors losing more than 1%.

In Bond Markets U.S. Treasury yields steadied following sharp declines on Thursday as coronavirus concerns led investors to pile into safe-haven assets, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year note reaching an all-time low for the third consecutive day. The U.S. yield curve, measured as the difference between yields on two- and 10-year Treasury notes, was at 19 basis points, up 5 basis points from Wednesday. .A volatile trading session left the yield on the 10-year note down 1 basis