Regional coronavirus worry was evident in....>

STOCKS: Regional coronavirus worry was evident in Asia-Pac hours (with a focus

on South Korea & Japan), although the major regional indices trade in a mixed

manner, following a positive lead from Wall St.

- The Nikkei 225 surged in early trade, receiving an extra boost from

Wednesday's JPY weakness, before the aforementioned coronavirus worry kicked in.

- Chinese equity markets benefitted from a notable moderation in the latest

round of daily new coronavirus case counts, as well as the ongoing deployment of

measures to support the domestic economy, while the PBoC delivered lower LPR

fixings, which met broader exp.

- The Hang Seng was the exception, as the consumer discretionary and real estate

sectors weighed, not much explanation required there given the current backdrop.

- U.S. equity index futures gave back their early gains and more on the broader,

cautious tone.

- Nikkei 225 +0.4%, Hang Seng -0.8%, CSII 300 +0.9%, ASX 200 +0.3%.

- S&P 500 futures -6, DJIA futures -57, NASDAQ 100 futures -28.