The Coronavirus and your money

The Coronavirus and your money.  After an unprecedented 10% rally, which started in October of 2019, the stock market is finally hitting a rough patch. The quick spread of the coronavirus in China and around the world made investors nervous about the future of the global economy. The 2% pullback on January 31 wiped out most of January gains. Despite the quick recovery in early February, the outbreak of the virus in South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy triggered a massive sell-off on Monday, February 24. The major US indices dropped 3.5% in one day, with DOW falling over 1,000 points.
Investors seeking safety pushed the price of Gold to $1,650. The 10-year treasury rate fell to 1.34, and the 30-year treasury bonds now pay 1.85%. The price of crude oil fell to $51 per share.

About the virus

The coronavirus, called COVID-19, started in the city of Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei. Until now, there were over 80,000 reported cases in China and around the world and nearly 2,700 fatalities. The virus spread came on the heels of Chinese Lunar Year celebrations, which is a primary holiday and travel period. It is estimated that Chinese travelers make 3 billion trips in the 40 days surrounding this major Chinese holiday. Currently, more than 60 million people have been locked down in China alone.
The governments around the world have limited or directly banned travelers coming from China. Many foreign businesses like Apple, IKEA, Disney, and Starbucks have shut down stores and theme parks.

The impact on Wuhan

Wuhan is a major transportation and industrial hub in China. More than 300 of the world’s top companies have a presence in Wuhan, including Microsoft, German-based software company SAP, and carmakers General Motors, Honda, and Groupe PSA.
The total value of trade imports and exports in Wuhan reached $35.3 billion in 2019, a record high that was 13.7% above the previous year.

The Bear case

A continued outbreak of the coronavirus can shave off between 0.5% to 1% of the already slowing Chinese GDP. As the second-biggest economy, China is one of the largest importers of commodities and materials.
An extended lockdown will hurt sales of all foreign companies doing business in China. It can trickle down to the already fragile economies of the EU,  Japan, and other export-oriented countries.
The lockdown in China will hurt the global supply chain and the limit the manufacturing abilities of companies making their products in China.
The virus outbreak in Italy, South Korea, and Iran creates a lot of uncertainty and puts pressure on local authorities to control the further spread out.
The previous virus threats (Ebola, SARS, Zika) hurt travel-related businesses and took several months before the markets fully recovered.

The Bull case

The US economy remains strong. The unemployment rate is at record low levels of 3.5%. Low-interest rates and low gasoline prices will support further growth in consumer spending and housing sales.
While not completely sheltered, the US economy is less dependent on exports to China.
The Fed has more room to cut rates if the US economy experiences a slowdown as a result of the virus.
The Chinese government is introducing a new monetary and fiscal stimulus package to support the economy.
Slowing GDP will make the Chinese government more willing to sign the Phase 2 trade deal with the US.
Pharma companies (reportedly Gilead and Moderna) are pursuing a virus vaccine.
Spring is coming. The warm weather could limit the impact of the virus around the world.

Your investments

• Keep the course. Have a long-term view and focus on achieving your financial goals.
• Market volatility is a normal part of the investment cycle.
• S&P 500 index pays a 1.8% dividend versus a 1.3% yield for the 10-year treasury. A long-term income investors may find it compelling to invest in dividend-paying stocks over bonds.
• A significant stock pullback will be an opportunity to buy high-quality US companies.
• If you are looking for a specific action, check out my recent article on how to cope with market downturns:  https://www.babylonwealth.com/survive-market-downturn/