What investors say about the new variant of the virus is Reuters

SYDNEY / TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian stocks suffered their biggest three-month decline on Friday and oil prices fell perhaps after a vaccine-resistant coronavirus variant was detected as investors turned to bond, yen and dollar security. [MKTS/GLOB]

There are few variants detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, although scientists say it has an unusual combination of mutations and may prevent or make it more transmissible to immune responses.

TAKASHI HIROKI, HEAD OF STRATEGIST, MONEX, TOKYO

“This variant is a new risk for markets. We can’t say how far vaccines can go.”

RAY ATTRILL, FX STRATEGY HEAD, NAB, SYDNEY

“People are reacting with uncertainty about what this means. You shoot first and then you ask questions when news like this explodes.”

MOH SIONG SIM, CURRENCY ANALYST, SINGAPORE BANK

“We still don’t know how infectious the virus is … it’s a general uncertainty. Markets here predict the risk of another wave of infection worldwide if vaccines aren’t effective.

“Reopening expectations could be dashed.”

MARK ARNOLD, CIO, HYPERION ASSET MANAGEMENT, BRISBANE

“I don’t think it’s going to go back to the pre-COVID world. We’re going to get mutations over time and that will change the way people act in the economy. That’s the reality.”

SHINICHIRO KADOTA, FX SENIOR STRATEGIST, BARCLAYS, TOKYO

“We see that the German blockade is being considered, so this new variant and the turnaround in COVID’s situation poses a risk to market sentiment in general.

“If the situation of COVID worsens, then the dollar-yen may fall further, but otherwise the divergence of monetary policy will weigh on the yen in the medium term.”

MARTIN WHETTON, HEAD OF FIXED INCOME, CBA, SYDNEY

“Tell the new COVID-19 variant. None of us are virologists, but we have all seen the impact this has had on central bank policy and markets.”

JEFFREY HALLEY, ANALYST, OANDA, JAKARTA

“The UK has halted flights from South Africa and five other surrounding countries, and we can expect more elsewhere. The calm seen with the emergence of the Indian delta variant is a hard-learned lesson.

“The only bull that can really hinder the recovery in the Chinese store has always been the new strain of COVID-19, which has expanded the world and led to the resurgence of massive social withdrawals. What we know so far is B.1.1.529. .