Futures slump on alarm over fast-spreading virus

February 27, 2020

By Medha Singh

(Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures dropped more than 1% on Thursday as investors stayed away from making riskier bets after the rapid spread of the coronavirus outside China deepened worries about growth and corporate earnings.

The number of new infections in China, the source of the outbreak, was overtaken for the first time by fresh cases elsewhere on Wednesday, most notably in Italy and Iran.

Adding to worries, the U.S. Centers...