The effect of coronavirus on stock markets, S&P 500 index The spread of the coronavirus epidemic continues to put pressure on global stock markets and other risky assets, despite the monetary stimulus measures taken by the central banks. Last week, the World Health Organization recognized the coronavirus as a pandemic. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus exceeded 169 thousand, and the number of deaths reached 6513. Governments in countries affected by the epidemic are taking restrictive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. The United States imposed a ban on entry from Europe, which led to the collapse of global stock markets. US stock market indices plunged in their worst day since the 1987 crash. On Thursday, the S&P 500 fell more than 9%, while the Dow Jones fell 10%. On Friday, indices regained some of their lost ground amid expectations that the US Congress will adopt a law on economic measures to deal with the consequences of the epidemic. Read...