Asian shares drowning in Wall Street's sea of read

• NIKKEI 225 Index: 17,851.10,  -214.31, -1.19% as its tracks a terrible Wall Street performce. 
• COVID-19 is tearing its way through the western world's population, making for risk-off markets.

Wall Street starts off on the wrong foot for the quarter, ending -4% and FX safe havens catch a bid. The Asian session's share prices have been dwarfed by Wall Street's although they are on way for a negative day ahead as investors remain on the sidelines and in risk-off assets as prospects of a deep and long-lasting recession build.

COVID-19 is tearing its way through the western world's population and is dimming whatever light the optimise are seeing at the end of the tunnel with respect to the global economy.

Wall Street worst start to a quarter on record

On Wall Street, the US death toll impacted investor's risk appetite and stocks plummeted, more on that here: Wall Street Close: Bruising losses in US stocks resulting in the worst start to a quarter on record. There have been projections of at least 100,000 deaths in the US and extensions to the lockdown is really turning the knife in the travel sector, such as airlines which were taking a dive in premarket trading Wednesday in the wake of the worst first-quarter loss in the Dow’s history. 

Asian stocks at a glance

• NIKKEI 225 Index: 17,851.10,  -214.31    -1.19%
• NIKKEI 300 Index:  278.48,  -1.01   -0.36%
• NIKKEI JASDAQ Index:  2,886.54,  -18.41,  -0.63%
• Hang Seng Index:  23,086,  -517.69,  -2.19%
• ASX All Ordinaries Index:  5,129  -161.50, -3.05%

Nikkei levels