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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Swine Flu vs Equity Rally

Will the swine flu in Mexico kill the worldwide equity bear market rally? Reuters has an article about the economic cause of a flu pandemic:
  • The World Bank estimated in 2008 that a flu pandemic could cost $3 trillion and result in a nearly 5 percent drop in world gross domestic product. The World Bank has estimated that more than 70 million people could die worldwide in a severe pandemic.
  • Australian independent think-tank Lowy Institute for International Policy estimated in 2006 that in the worst-case scenario, a flu pandemic could wipe $4.4 trillion off global economic output.
  • Two reports in the United States in 2005 estimated that a flu pandemic could cause a serious recession of the U.S. economy, with immediate costs of between $500 billion and $675 billion.
  • One report, from the Congressional Budget Office, said hospitals would have difficulty controlling infection and might become sources for spreading the illness.
  • A second report by New Jersey-based WBB Securities LLC predicted a one-year economic loss of $488 billion and a permanent economic loss of $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy.
  • SARS in 2003 disrupted travel, trade and the workplace and cost the Asia Pacific region $40 billion. It lasted for six months, killing 775 of the 8,000 people it infected in 25 countries.
Looking at SARS, the outbreak period is from Nov 2002 to Jul 2003. I don't see any correlation between the outbreak with the performance of KLCI. So, I think that we have nothing to worry about unless it becomes a pandemic.
KLCI Weekly Chart

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