Potential Fed Cut, Virus Scrambles, Lockup-Change Delay: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) --

Good morning Americas. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help you start the day:

• If the coronavirus outbreak morphs into a regional economic crisis, the European Central Bank isn’t yet poised to rush to the rescue; in the U.S., Wall Street is increasingly betting the Federal Reserve may have to cut interest rates again
• Meanwhile, a range of early indicators of China’s economy in February confirm that the virus outbreak has crippled production and consumption
• The best way to think about the threat from the coronavirus from an investment perspective is to view it like the trade war -- a temporary hit to equities that in time should be accommodated by the Fed, in the view of market veteran Ben Emons
• The U.S. Labor Department postponed next week’s deadline for removing computers from the secure room where journalists get pre-release access to major economic reports
• Hong Kong’s government unveiled a budget packed with giveaways including a one-time cash handout that economists said isn’t likely to spur growth, as the city struggles to stabilize an economy battered by political unrest and the coronavirus
• Have a look inside Mark Carney’s Brexit adventure atop the Bank of England as he prepares to leave office more than seven years after crossing the Atlantic

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