On the Stockholm Stock Exchange, the broad OMXS index lost 4.6 percent.

All shares on the large company list OMXS30 closed at minus. Most down due to index weight, the clothing chain Hennes & Mauritz, which plunged 7.0 percent.

The workshop sector and major banks also went weak. Workshop giant Sandvik and truck manufacturer Volvo fell 7.5 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. Among the banks, Handelsbanken lost most, down 7.5 per cent, but SEB, Swedbank and Nordea also fell substantially.

Worst decline since corona closure in the US

Wall Street also showed bleak figures at closing. The fall in the leading index on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday was the worst since March 18, when the US closed down due to the virus pandemic.

Investors are worried about a second wave of contagion after several states have noted an increased number of cases of covid-19. Wednesday's message from the Federal Reserve Federal Reserve - bleak prospects for both the labor market and the economy - did not improve the stock market mood.

The Dow Jones industrial index dropped 6.9 percent, the broad S&P 500 went down 5.9 percent and Nasdaq's composite index fell 5.3 percent.