SLOVENIA

PM says people's safety, health come first in fight against coronavirus

Prime Minister Janez Janša has called on the EU to put people's safety and health first in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. "Measures for the economy are important of course, after all in the long term this is the flip side of the same coin, but for us the immediate priority is people's safety and health," he said. (STA)

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

Dow rebounds more than 1,000 points as Trump seeks $1 trillion in stimulus for coronavirus fight; European stocks close 2.2% higher after a day of choppy trading; travel sector slides 6%

Stocks surged Tuesday — rebounding from their worst day in more than three decades — as Wall Street cheered White House plans that could inject $1 trillion into the U.S. economy to cushion the blow of the coronavirus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1,048.79 points higher, or 5.2%, at 21,237.31. It briefly dipped below 20,000 for the first time since February 2017 before rebounding. The S&P 500 was up 6% at 2,529.19 while the Nasdaq Composite gained 6.2% to end the day at 7,334.78.
Amazon shares jumped 7% after an analyst at Bank of America noted the e-commerce giant will benefit from the global “in-home shift” due to the coronavirus. Netflix climbed 7% as well while Apple closed 4.3% higher.
Biotech giant Regeneron, meanwhile, said Tuesday morning that it’s aiming to have doses of a potential drug for COVID-19 ready to start human clinical trials by early summer. The announcement, which represents a marked acceleration in the company’s drug timeline, sparked a 11.5% rally in the company’s equity.
European markets ended in the green on Tuesday after a day of wild swings, amid hopes of more stimulus as the fast-spreading coronavirus fuels fears of an impending recession. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally finished 2.2% higher amid a choppy session, having gained 3% at the opening bell before falling into the red. Travel and leisure stocks plunged around 6%, off earlier lows, as shutdowns continue to hammer the sector. Spain’s IBEX, meanwhile, provisionally ended up 9.2%.
Volkswagen announced Tuesday that it will suspend production from Friday, warning alongside its full-year results that 2020 would be a difficult year. The German automaker’s shares reversed course to gain 1.7% during afternoon trade. (CNBC)

SERBIA

Serbian Finance Minister: Moratorium on loan repayment

Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali on Tuesday declared a 90 day moratorium on loan repayments. “The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) will introduce measures covering a moratorium on loan repayments for a period of 90 days as the second set of measures that we will introduce after lowering the key policy rate and earmarking additional money for public investments and single aid payments for pensioners,” the minister told the pro-government TV Pink commenting government measures during the state of emergency imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (N1)

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