Reuters

The U.S. benchmark S&P 500 stock index fell more than 4% on Wednesday after a dire warning on the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus sent investors running from even the most defensive equities.

The key S&P 500 index was down more than 4% on Wednesday after a dire warning on the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus and heightened nerves over the upcoming earnings reporting season sent investors running from even the most defensive equities.

U.S. President Donald Trump has invited oil executives to the White House to discuss potential aid for the industry as the coronavirus pandemic spurs a historic slump in energy prices, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday for global oil producers and consumers to address "challenging" oil markets while U.S. President Donald Trump complained that oil cheaper "than water" was hurting the industry.

Whiting Petroleum Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the U.S. shale producer said on Wednesday, the first publicly traded casualty of crashing crude oil prices that are expected to bite into record U.S. output.

Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said social distancing efforts meant to contain the coronavirus outbreak have "stilled" the economy and could lead the unemployment rate to "rise dramatically."

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after data showed U.S. crude inventories rose last week by the most since 2016 while gasoline demand suffered its biggest weekly drop ever due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The dollar advanced on Wednesday, with markets staring at what looked likely to be one of the worst economic contractions in decades as the world confronts the coronavirus pandemic.

Insurers are increasingly worried about shareholders, employees or customers bringing coronavirus-related claims against company executives and are considering excluding the virus from policies which protect the bosses, industry sources say.

T-Mobile US Inc said on Wednesday it officially completed the $23 billion merger with Sprint Corp, solidifying its position as the No.3 wireless providers in the United States.

Shale producer Whiting Petroleum Corp said on Wednesday it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the first major casualty of a free fall in crude prices to $20 a barrel.

Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said a handful of workers staged a demonstration at one of its warehouses near Detroit, reflecting the ongoing concerns among its staff about contracting the coronavirus on the job.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 900 points on Wednesday as a plunge in new orders for U.S.-made goods and a dire warning on U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pushed investors away from stocks to safer assets.

EU industry chief Thierry Breton on Wednesday said he did not see any ulterior motive behind Huawei's donations of face masks to the bloc and that solidarity was the best way to tackle the global coronavirus outbreak.

Zoom Video Communications Inc's average mobile user numbers in March were nearly three times that of its nearest rival Microsoft Corp's Teams, according to research firm Apptopia, as the cornonavirus-driven stay-at-home lifted demand for video conferencing applications.

With the euro zone economy in need of help from the coronavirus pandemic, officials have until April 9 to design a package that satisfies members with completely opposing views: those calling for joint debt issuance and those fiercely against it.

With auto showrooms shut during the coronavirus pandemic, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors Co moved to reboot demand with seven-year, no-interest loans and programs allowing customers to buy vehicles online.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged the U.S. Treasury on Wednesday not to hold up $25 billion in cash grants approved by Congress last week to airlines for payroll costs.

The Dow Jones fell 600 points on Wednesday as investors fled to safe-haven assets after new orders for U.S.-made goods plunged to an 11-year low and the White House issued a dire warning on the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.

Factories fell quiet across much of the world in March as the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed economic activity, with evidence mounting that the world is sliding into deep recession.