A quiet Regent Street on March 13, 2020 in London, England. The Prime Minister announced the UK is entering the "delay" phase of emergency planning for the Covid-19 crisis.

London stocks were headed for the worst weekly performance since the 2008 Great Financial Crisis, even as they clawed back a fraction of some lost territory on Friday.

The FTSE 100 index UKX, +2.46% was looking at an 18% weekly loss, the biggest since a 21% drop in October 2008, as markets slumped this week, specifically Thursday on fears governments were not doing enough to stop the coronavirus epidemic wrecking global economies.

The index rose 1.4% to 5,311.76 on Friday, while the pound slid 0.7% to $1.2480 as investors continued to seek shelter in the U.S. dollar.

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Originally posted by:

Barbara Kollmeyer

www.marketwatch.com

March 13th, 2020