As traditional capital markets seize up, businesses are turning to emergency sources of funding. An FT analysis shows that more than 130 companies drew at least $124bn from their lenders in the past three weeks. Plus, Europe is facing a dilemma over whether to allow certain businesses to operate or shut the economy entirely to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and SoftBank explored an attempt to take the conglomerate private before deciding to sell some of its assets this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve announced a plan to buy corporate debt and unlimited amounts of government debt on Monday. But investors on Wall Street continue to wait for fiscal stimulus from the US government.  Plus, The FT’s global business columnist, Rana Foroohar, argues that, when a bailout plan is agreed, small businesses and individuals should be first in line for the help. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US lawmakers argue over a fiscal stimulus legislation worth nearly $2tn to help America weather the coronavirus pandemic. Plus, it could be weeks before official data reveals the full impact of the outbreak on the global economy. FT data journalists have compiled a set of alternative measures of economic activity, from restaurant bookings to traffic patterns, to give an early indication of what to expect. And, Occidental Petroleum chief executive Vicki Hollub looks set to keep her job as the embattled oil producer finalises a truce with activist investor Carl Icahn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Republicans in the US Senate have introduced legislation to inject more than $1tn of fiscal stimulus into the economy as it grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. Sir Paul Tucker, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England and current chair of the Systemic Risk Council, says it’s time for policymakers and bankers to prepare for a wartime setting if conditions deteriorate. Plus, the only US drugmaker that makes a potential treatment for the coronavirus raised the price nearly 100 per cent in January as the outbreak wreaked havoc in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Central Bank will buy an additional €750bn in bonds in response to the economic and financial upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Gillian Tett and Anjli Raval explain the dramatic market swings in markets that preceded the ECB’s emergency move. Plus, we will look at the bottlenecks in the healthcare supply chain as demand grows for testing and critical care equipment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Western governments pledged trillions of dollars in stimulus measures to limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday. The FT’s global business columnist Rana Foroohar explains what it could mean for Wall Street and Main Street. Plus, Impossible Foods raises $500m in a round that will help the US-plant based burger group to see through the economic upheaval caused by the current crisis, and Joe Biden solidifies his status as the frontrunner to take on Donald Trump in November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments in all large western economies took drastic measures to limit public movement on Monday in an urgent effort to arrest the spreading coronavirus pandemic while US stocks plunged despite a set of emergency measures laid out by the Federal Reserve on Sunday. Plus, an analysis by the Financial Times finds that the UK and the US have key weaknesses in their healthcare systems which could trigger a collapse if put to the test by the outbreak.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates to zero and joined forces with other central banks in a bid to prevent a severe economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The FT’s Gillian Tett unpacks the sweeping measures. Plus, the rapid spread of the coronavirus and the ensuing travel restrictions have led to one of the worst months on record for the airport industry, and French industrials group Air Liquide is asking would-be buyers of its hand sanitiser unit to offer a higher sum in the wake of the outbreak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US stocks fell almost 10 per cent in their worst day since the 1987 market crash despite emergency action by the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, following the US ban on travellers from Europe, airlines are demanding immediate government action to alleviate the industry’s deepening crisis. Plus, companies took on vast amounts of debt in the era of low interest rates. The FT’s US business editor, Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, explains the risk this debt poses now. We want to hear from you. Please go to FT.com/briefingsurvey, and fill out our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose headphones.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration will suspend non-US citizens travelling from Europe for the next 30 days to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in America. This announcement came on the same day the World Health Organization labelled the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic for the first time, and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average tipped into bear market territory. Plus, Boeing lost close to a fifth of its market value on after news that it had tapped the full amount of a $13.8bn loan to deal with the financial effects of the coronavirus. Then, we will look at what to expect from Christine Lagarde and the European Central Bank today, now that the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have made emergency rate cuts. We want to hear from you. Please go to FT.com/briefingsurvey, and fill out our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose headphones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.