MILAN. A difficult day is expected on the financial markets. The main European stock exchanges opened the session with a sharp drop, in line with the trend recorded in the previous hours on the lists of all Asia. Sales have returned to dominate the picture. Milan is moving in heavy regression: at the end of the first trading hour, the FtseMib loses 3% in recovery, however, on the first trades. Frankfurt is down 2.80%. Paris loses 3.60% and London is down by 2.75%.
Futures on American indices are also in sharp red: the contract on the S & P500, the main American basket, loses more than two percentage points, heralding a strong start overseas too.
The sales are triggered by the news of a new variant of the Coronavirus, believed to be very contagious, which has been discovered in South Africa in the Johannesburg area. The World Health Organization has called an emergency meeting for today.
Fear of the new Nu variant, Italy stops flights from South Africa. UK health care: “It eludes vaccines”. Israel one step away from the emergency
Italy, with an order this morning, banned entry from South Africa. The EU is considering stopping air travel from the southern African region due to the new variant. Great Britain and Israel have already blocked flights to and from six African countries.
What is most worrying are the numerous mutations of the Spike protein, as many as 32, which could theoretically increase its transmissibility and the ability to evade antibodies.
Autogrill (-13%) with ENAV (-7%) and Atlantia (-4.60%) sells land to Piazza Affari. Strong drops also for Banca Monte Paschi (-11%) and Salcef (-10%). Unicredit fell (-5.23%) and Banco Bpm (-4.4%). Up on the main list only Diasorin with an increase above 5% and Tim (+ 1.18%). The oil bought also tops sales: Eni drops 4.49%, Tenaris 4.16%, Saipem 3.77% and Saras 4.81% in the wake of the sharp drop in the price of oil, on the lows of September after the alarm raised by South Africa.
The nervousness also reaches government bonds with the BTP / Bund spread at 129 basis points, however recovering from the more than 130 points scored at the start. The yield of the ten-year trip above 1%.