* China rally extends for eighth session, yuan soars
* Oil slips on fears rising COVID cases to clip demand
* World FX rates in 2020 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
By Herbert Lash and Marc Jones
NEW YORK/LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Equity markets slid on
Thursday after U.S. data raised worries about the economy's
recovery and doused enthusiasm that drove a Chinese stock rally
for an eighth straight day, while the dollar gained as new
coronavirus cases hit another record.
The dollar had struggled earlier in the session, with
China's yuan climbing to a four-month peak, as investors poured
into Chinese stocks on growing signs of a recovery that also
helped lift copper prices to more than a year high.
But concerns about renewed U.S. coronavirus lockdowns kept a
lid on oil prices, too, and outweighed signs of a pick-up in
U.S. gasoline demand. A slowing rate of decline in weekly U.S.
jobless claims from a peak in March also gave investors pause.
Rising coronavirus cases and slower improvement in the U.S.
jobs market amounted to a one-two punch for the market.
"We are reaching the levels of unemployment which are likely
to persist until a more true re-opening can occur, either with a
vaccine, novel treatment, or time," said Jamie Cox, managing
partner at Harris Financial Group in Richmond, Virginia.
The MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS , which tracks
shares in 49 nations, retreated after earlier gains. The index
fell 0.8% after its broadest measure of Asia-Pacific shares
outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.66% on the China rally.
Wall Street also fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
.DJI slid 1.58%, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.20% and the Nasdaq
Composite .IXIC dropped 0.51%.
In Europe, stocks pared gains to close lower. Europe's broad
FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 dropped 0.78%.
More than 60,000 new coronavirus infections were reported on
Wednesday and U.S. deaths rose by more than 900 for a second
straight day, the highest since early June. Jobless claims have been gradually falling, though they
remained roughly double their highest point during the 2007-09
Great Recession.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits totalled a
seasonally adjusted 1.314 million for the week ended July 4,
down from 1.413 million the prior week, the Labor Department
said. Oil prices fell about 3% as investors worried that renewed
U.S. lockdowns to contain the spread of coronavirus would sap
fuel consumption.
"COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the U.S. and traders
wonder when they will see an end of this, when the trend will
change," said Louise Dickson, oil markets analyst at Rystad
Energy.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 0.79% at $42.5 a barrel.
U.S. crude CLc1 slid 2.79% at $39.76 a barrel.
Overnight in Asia, Chinese stocks set their longest winning
streak in two years, and the yuan had strengthened past 7%
.SS , despite rising tension over Hong Kong and the economic
uncertainty caused by COVID-19.
It was the Shenzhen blue-chip index's eighth straight day of
gains, adding another 1.5% to its 16% surge this month, and it
helped Europe initially on an upward trajectory after hesitation
caused by uninspiring German data. .EU Improving risk sentiment was the dollar's earlier downward
momentum – it was at a one-month low against the euro EUR= , a
three-week low versus the British pound GBP= and a four-month
trough against the Swiss franc before rebounding. /FRX
Asia's investors have been riding high after a front-page
editorial in Monday's China Securities Journal that extolled
market fundamentals, which was taken as official encouragement
to buy stocks.
State-run media warned on Thursday that investors should
still pursue rational investments and manage risks, but that
didn't rein in the bulls.
In Europe though, Britain suffered another 5,000 high street
jobs losses and Germany's export figures recovered less than
expected in May as demand remained subdued despite lockdowns
being lifted in large parts of Europe. The dollar index =USD , which tracks the greenback versus a
basket of six currencies, rose 0.31% to 96.727.
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FSB Libor Graphic https://tmsnrt.rs/3iJBdxE
World financial markets in 2020 https://tmsnrt.rs/2AHscUI
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