Wind of panic on the financial markets. The spread of the new coronavirus continues day after day to panic the stock markets around the world, from Wall Street to the London Stock Exchange, via Frankfurt. And for large groups, stocks like those of Air France-KLM lost more than 7%. Consequences that worry the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), which is closely monitoring the situation.
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The AMF therefore asked all listed companies to assess the impact of the coronavirus on their activity and to communicate on this impact, if it is significant. According to information from Europe 1, all listed companies have been called or received an email asking them to do so. "Such global demand is extremely rare," admits the AMF. "We had to do it the last time at the time of the Greek crisis," recalls a senior official.
"We have no idea how much it will cost us," fear companies.
Businesses communicate piecemeal. Air France has estimated that the only shutdown in China of its activities could cost it between 150 and 200 million euros. But this estimate is already obsolete. This is the great difficulty for companies: "We have no idea how much it will cost us. It all depends on the duration and the spread in Europe", recognizes a large luxury group. "If it were to last too long, we could lose a good part of the collection currently in store," he adds. And if companies are cautious, it is because they risk a fine if they underestimate the possible impact too much.