While the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy will play out over the next few quarters, the equity markets have already seen an erosion of $8 trillion in market value. Most global stocks have tumbled as the epidemic has triggered a flight to safety among investors. While riskier assets have dropped, safe-haven investments, such as gold and developed world bonds, have rallied. In absolute terms, the US has lost $4.25 trillion in market cap — from $35.99 trillion to $31.74 trillion. In comparison, China, the epicentre of the outbreak, has lost only $400 billion. Market players said

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