Bloomberg The Federal Reserve is now prepared to reduce interest rates this month even though it recognizes monetary policy cannot completely shelter a US economy increasingly threatened by the coronavirus. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell opened the door to a rate-cut at the Fed’s March 17-18 meeting by issuing a rare statement pledging to “act as appropriate” to support the economy. …

Bloomberg China’s financial regulators will allow the nation’s lenders to delay recognising bad loans from smaller businesses reeling from the deadly coronavirus outbreak, giving temporary reprieve to trillions of yuan of debt. Qualified small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide with principal or interest due between January 25 and June 30 can apply for a delay to the end of the second …

Bloomberg Global central bankers from Japan to the UK pledged action aimed at stabilising financial markets rattled by the spreading coronavirus as pressure builds on them to ease monetary policy to safeguard their economies. In an emergency statement on Monday, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) said it would “strive to provide ample liquidity and ensure stability in financial markets.” The …