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

To contact the reporter on this story: David Goodman in London at dgoodman28@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, Zoe Schneeweiss

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