Hong Kong, Feb 25 (AFP/APP): Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as bargain-buying after the previous day’s bloodbath tempered fears that the coronavirus will develop into a pandemic and hammer the global economy. News at the weekend that COVID-19 was now spreading and claiming lives far beyond China sparked a flood to safety on trading floors across the world, with the Dow on Wall Street suffering its worst day in two years. With the death toll at around 2,700 and 80,000 infected, the World Health Organization said the outbreak had “peaked” in China but warned that all countries should prepare for a “potential pandemic”. “As the number of COVID-19 infections outside of China rises, investors are considering the potential ramification on the global economy beyond weaker growth in China and supply chain disruptions,” JP Morgan Asset Management’s Tai Hui said in a note. “Equity markets will remain volatile in the near term, driven by new infection numbers around the world.” Tokyo led losses as markets reopened to play catch-up with Monday’s global sell-off. The Nikkei ended the morning three percent lower, while Sydney and Wellington each shed 1.3 percent and Shanghai lost 0.9 percent. Taipei and Jakarta were also lower. However, … Continue reading Asian markets mixed after virus-fuelled global bloodbath