Latest News on private equities market

OPEC ministers were starting to arrive in Vienna on Tuesday where they will debate whether to cut oil production further as the spread of the coronavirus hits demand for crude worldwide.

European Central Bank policymaker Robert Holzmann said he would not support an interest rate cut to insulate the euro zone from the effects of the coronavirus epidemic but he could consider giving firms ultra cheap loans.

BMW on Tuesday said its China sales have taken a hit this year because of the new coronavirus, but stuck to its target for growing passenger car sales for the year, and said its global supply chain has not been disrupted.

Apple supplier Foxconn warned revenue would drop 15% in businesses including consumer electronics and enterprise products in the first quarter, but that it would recover thereafter as production returns to normal in virus-hit China.

Wall Street stepped up preparations to deal with the impact of the coronavirus on Tuesday, testing backup plans and asking employees to work from home, as a New Yorker tested positive for the virus, bringing the prospect of the spread of the infection closer to home.

Asian shares struggled to find footing on Wednesday and bonds held stunning gains, as an emergency rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve seemed to stoke rather than soothe fears over the coronavirus' widening global economic fallout.

As companies in China gradually restart business following the extended Lunar New Year break, investors are fretting over the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak that has squeezed cash flow and hammered revenues in many sectors.

SoftBank-backed startup CloudMinds has been blocked from sharing U.S.-origin technology with its China business, documents showed, illustrating how increased U.S. government restrictions are creating new headaches for tech firms and their investors.

Oil prices rose more than 1% on Wednesday on expectations that major producers have moved closer to an agreement to enact deeper output cuts aimed at offsetting the slump in demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Asian shares wobbled on Wednesday and bonds held gains, as an emergency rate cut from the U.S. Federal Reserve did little to soothe investor fears over the coronavirus's widening fallout.

The coronavirus outbreak will likely have only a "short-lived imprint" on the U.S. economy, Chicago Federal Reserve bank President Charles Evans said on Tuesday night.

SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son held his first "pre-IPO summit" for the Japanese conglomerate's portfolio companies on Tuesday, introducing them to Wall Street investors who could be backing their stock market debuts.

Hong Kong-based Bank of East Asia said on Wednesday it would carry out a comprehensive review of its portfolio of businesses and assets with the support of activist investor Elliott Management.

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal said on Tuesday it had sold more than $1.25 billion in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics, a new record for any broadcaster for the games.

Billionaire hedge fund investor William Ackman on Tuesday said he has moved to protect the firm's $6.6 billion portfolio, which includes restaurant chain and hotel stocks, as the spread of the coronavirus has sparked prolonged panic selling in markets.