NEW YORK — Global equity benchmarks slid and oil prices flat-lined on Friday as investors weighed a record number of new coronavirus cases in the United States against improving economic data in Europe. More than 60,500 new coronavirus infections were reported across the United States on Thursday, the largest single-day tally of cases by any country since the virus emerged late last year in China. "The sharp increase in confirmed cases has led to growing concerns that a return to broad lockdowns lies ahead," Goldman Sachs wrote in a note. "While lockdowns can slow down virus spread effectively, they come at very high economic cost." Economic data, however, continued to improve in the United States and Europe.

Source: International New York Times July 10, 2020 06:05 UTC