SQUAWK BOX, THURSDAY 27TH FEBRUARY, 2020

The Nikkei leads the Asian sell-off after the Dow fails to hold onto gains amid rising Coronavirus fears. American health authorities confirm a first potential ‘community-spread’ case in northern California and the number of fresh Coronavirus cases reported outside China tops those reported in the country for the first time. President Trump plays down fears of a global pandemic and puts Vice-President Mike Pence in charge of his administration’s response. In Germany, however, the reaction is more urgent with health minister Jens Spahn urging state health authorities and employers to brace for a possible accelerated outbreak in the federation. In corporate news, Standard Chartered posts a 46 per cent jump in full-year profits but says that meeting its 2020 targets will be hindered by slowing global growth as well as the Coronavirus. We speak to the Asia-focused lender’s CEO, Bill Winters, on set. We are also live in Zurich where LafargeHolcim cites ‘solid’ Chinese performance for its record net full-year income, but the effects of the virus could weigh on global construction in 2020.