BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks fell on Friday amid nagging concerns about the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak as the U.S. overtook China for the most virus cases worldwide.
The United States now has more coronavirus cases than any other country with close to 86,000 infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The total numbers worldwide reached 531,000 and the global death toll surged past 24,000.
China and the United States should 'unite to fight' the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump today.
The benchmark CAC 40 dropped 121 points, or 2.67 percent, to 4,423 after rallying 2.5 percent the previous day.
Total SA shares fell over 3 percent as oil prices traded mixed after recent gains.
Faurecia shares slumped 5 percent as the automotive supplier abandoned its financial outlook due to the hit to its business from the coronavirus outbreak.
Ophthalmic company EssilorLuxottica gave up nearly 7 percent. Due to the evolving coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, the company said its outlook for fiscal 2020 is no longer valid.
Sanofi was little changed. The company announced that its vaccines global business unit Sanofi Pasteur and Translate Bio (TBIO), a clinical-stage messenger RNA therapeutics company, will collaborate to develop a novel mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.
Publicis Groupe declined 3 percent. Due to the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the advertising and public relations company has decided not to give any guidance until further notice.
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