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Here's what you need to know before the markets open. 1. 'Off the rails': Stocks, oil, Treasury yields, and bitcoin surge then retreat as coronavirus woes outweigh government actions. "Epic volatility remains our companion," one analyst said. 2. Paul Krugman blasts Trump for 'catastrophically inadequate' coronavirus response, points out his biggest boast has evaporated. "Take away his magic talisman and there's nothing left," the economist tweeted, referring to the erosion of stock-market gains during Trump's presidency. 3. Oil and gas incomes in emerging markets could drop by 85% this year on coronavirus fears, energy leaders say. Experts warned that energy incomes could slump to their lowest levels in more than 20 years if current market conditions persist. 4. L Brands temporarily closes stores, draws down $950 million from existing credit line. The owner of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works will shut its stores in the US and Canada through March 29. 5. Airbus signals some government help may be needed if crisis lasts months. Aviation industry representatives raised the issue with Germany's economy ministry, two sources told Reuters. 6. Volkswagen starts shutting down production in Europe in face of coronavirus. The German automaker made the call based on weaker demand and greater uncertainty around parts supplies to its plants. 7. Amazon is refusing to shut its warehouses as 5 workers across Spain and Italy test positive for coronavirus. The e-commerce titan said it was "following the guidelines of local and international health authorities" and had introduced preventive health measures. 8. Stocks are whipsawing . In Europe, Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 slid 1.5%, while the Euro Stoxx 50 fell 0.4%. In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.3%, Japan's Nikkei was almost flat, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.9%. US stocks are set to open higher, with futures underlying the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq up between 1% and 1.5%. 9. Some big earnings are out. Volkswagen and FedEx are the highlights. 10. There's interesting data on the way. Look out for retail sales figures. |