(Corrects to say coronavirus global pandemic is looming in
paragraph four)
Feb 27 (Reuters) - European shares fell again on Thursday,
with travel stocks taking the biggest knock, as a jump in new
coronavirus cases outside of China deepened fears of a pandemic
that could dent global growth.
Multiple blue-chip companies issued profit warnings, with
Standard Chartered tumbling 3.4% after the Asia-focused
bank said that a key earnings target would take longer to meet
as the epidemic adds to headwinds in its main markets of China
and Hong Kong.
The world's largest beer maker, Anheuser-Busch InBev
, dropped 5.6% after forecasting muted growth in 2020
due in part to the outbreak.
Governments ramped up measures to battle a looming global
pandemic as the number of infections outside China for the first
time surpassed those within the country.
The pan-regional STOXX 600 index fell 2.2% by 0817
GMT, bracing for its worst week since January 2016 when fears
about a slowing Chinese economy and a rout in oil prices sent
global markets in a tailspin.
Travel & leisure stocks slumped 3.3%, its sixth
straight session of losses, as airlines and hotel groups dropped
on concerns over demand.
Weak earnings reports also dampened the mood. Advertising
major WPP slid 13.6% after saying it would target flat
organic growth and profit margin in 2020. Shares in rival
Publicis Groupe SA fell 3.3%
(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj
Kalluvila)
Standard Chartered (STAN)
WPP (WPP)