Concerns over US fiscal stimulus, Covid-19 surge roil global markets

Sensex drops 540 points; Wall Street's indices deep in the red

The markets globally were off to a rocky start to the week, with rising Covid-19 infections in the US and Europe — coupled with the delay in the much-awaited fiscal stimulus deal in the US — keeping investors worried about the economic outlook.

Reacting to the weak sentiment in the world markets, the Sensex ended at 40,145, down 540, or 1.3 per cent — the most since October 15. The Nifty50 index fell 163 points, or 1.4 per cent, to end at 11,768. The equity markets across Europe and the US (until 9.52 pm IST) also dropped sharply amid worries that