European bank shares slid and prices on their riskiest debt touched new lows as the region braced for a prolonged economic slowdown as a result of the spreading coronavirus. Investors are trying to calculate banks’ exposure to hard-hit airline, retail and oil giants—as well as hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the region—while also worrying about the longer-term impact for lenders’ profitability and capital positions. Central banks and governments are providing liquidity, easing capital buffers and laying out...

Source: Wall Street Journal March 16, 2020 18:11 UTC