In Europe, Paris fell 3.79% around 8:50 GMT, London yielded 3.32% and Frankfurt 3.61%, the values ​​of the airline sector suffering particularly.

Asian markets felt the shock first: Tokyo closed down 2.53%, after dropping more than 3% by midday.

Oil prices, depending on expectations of economic activity, for their part lost around 5%.

And bitcoin, also seen as a risky asset by investors, slumped 7.22% to $ 54,610.

"A single theme leads the markets today", the new variant detected in South Africa, summarizes Jeffrey Halley, analyst at the brokerage firm Oanda.

Currently called B.1.1.529, it has the potential to spread very quickly, scientists say, who are not sure at this point whether currently available vaccines are effective against it.

Several European countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy or Germany have already taken measures, banning the arrival of travelers from southern Africa.

"The only thing that can really derail the global recovery has always been a new variant of Covid-19 sweeping the world and leading to the reimposition of massive health restrictions," said Mr. Halley.

Price movements can also be amplified by limited market activity: after the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, Wall Street will only be open for half a day on Friday.

Investors preferred to take refuge in the bond market, traditionally used as a safe haven in times of uncertainty, causing yields to fall sharply.

The 10-year American sovereign loan fell to 1.52%, against 1.64% at the close the day before, the French one for the same maturity to 0.06% against 0.12%.

Safe-haven currencies, such as the Japanese yen, were also sought after by investors keen to take minimal risk.

Airlines dropped

The titles of companies in the airline sector, already badly hit by the pandemic, were drinking the cup because of the new variant.

In Japan, the company ANA Holdings fell by 4.5% and its competitor Japan Airlines by 6.48%.

In Europe, the aircraft manufacturer Airbus collapsed by 11%, IAG, parent company of British Airways, by 10.5% and Roll-Royces, which manufactures aircraft engines, by more than 12%.

Anti-Covid values ​​hold up better

The French giant of analysis laboratories Eurofins Scientific soared by more than 6.5%.

Tech companies were also resisting the general trend: in France Dassault Systèmes lost 0.49% while in London, Avast fell only 0.10%.

On the oil and currency side

On the oil market, a US barrel of WTI for delivery in January dropped 5.78% to 73.84 dollars in New York, shortly before 08:50 GMT.

In London, a barrel of Brent from the North Sea for the same month fell 4.66% to 78.39 dollars.

In the foreign exchange market, currencies used as a safe haven by investors were in demand, particularly the Japanese yen: one dollar was trading at 114.18 yen, against 115.36 yen on Thursday.

The euro appreciated for its part by 0.43% against the greenback to 1.1257 dollars.

© 2021 AFP