AP Images / Richard Drew
Here's what you need to know before the markets open.
1. 'This is not a drill': Stocks tank and bond yields tumble as coronavirus fears grow. "The bond market is scaring the raccoons out of the air ducts like crazy right now."
2. Oil plunges as coronavirus threatens to hammer demand and producers clash over cutting output. OPEC has more than halved its growth forecast for global oil demand this year.
3. Tesla wins approval to sell longer-range, China-made Model 3 cars. The vehicles are expected to have a driving range of more than 600 kilometers before they need to be recharged.
4. Tech titans ask employees to stay away from Silicon Valley and Seattle HQs as they bunker down against coronavirus. Facebook and Amazon have confirmed that they have had workers in their Seattle offices test positive for the virus.
5. The US employment report is expected to show strength. Economists polled by Reuters anticipated an increase in nonfarm jobs of 175,000 in February, a decline from January but in line with average monthly growth in 2019.
6. Trump says the US economy could take a hit from coronavirus. "It certainly might have an impact," the president said at a town hall on Thursday.
7. Samsung suspends smartphone factory in South Korea again after new coronavirus case. Six workers at the factory have contracted the disease so far, leading to temporary shutdowns.
8. Stocks are down. In Europe, Germany's DAX slid 3.4%, Britain's FTSE 100 slid 3.1%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 slid 3.4%. In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite fell 1.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 2.3%, and Japan's Nikkei fell 2.7%. US stocks are set to open lower. Futures underlying the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq were down by 2.4% to 2.9%.
9. Earnings season continues. Eyewear titan EssilorLuxottica is the highlight.
10. It's a big day for data. Nonfarm payrolls should offer insights into the health of the US economy.