Asian stocks fall as economy turbulence pile on market fears

Asian stock market underperformed on Thursday as piling economic turbulence led by the coronavirus pandemic continued to batter economies and governments around the world.

Australia’s ASX 200 fell by 2.29% while Japan’s Nikkei slid by 0.74% at 10:14 PM ET (3:14 AM GMT). South Korea’s KOSPI inched up by a moderate 0.74%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dipped 0.56% while China’s Shanghai Composite fell by 0.16%. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.19%.

The World Health Organization has reported over 800,000 confirmed cases around the world as of April 1, including 163,199 from the United States.