How covid-19 impacts markets
The first case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since early 2020, this disease has spread rapidly, generating medical crises, overwhelming hospitals and prompting governments to enact lockdowns around the world.
During the first months, investors responded with a sharp panic-selling response to the possible economic collapse, typical to such black-swan events.
The pandemic had a wide-ranging and severe impact on financial markets, including stocks, bonds, and commodities. Governments and central banks moved to shore up the economies.
It also had a substantial influence on businesses around the world. The uncertainty related to lockdown durations and economic recovery left many businesses closed and hit households hard.
It also had a substantial influence on businesses around the world. The uncertainty related to lockdown durations and economic recovery left many businesses closed and hit households hard.
From late 2020, vaccination efforts allowed many major economies to fully open but the Delta variant revived concerns over new restrictive measures around mid-2021. Although countries were able to avoid lockdowns, supply bottlenecks caused by the virus outbreak started to ramp up price pressures. Central banks are looking to set their policy in a way to battle inflation while keeping the growth momentum alive.
