On Monday, shares of Asian companies engaged in the production of diagnostic kits and vaccines showed significant growth, reflecting global dynamics. The reason was the discovery of a new coronavirus in bats, which uses a similar mechanism of cell entry as the Covid-19 virus. This study, conducted by the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China and published in the journal Cell, points to the potential for animal-to-human transmission of the virus. However, so far no such cases have been recorded. Among the growth leaders was South Korean diagnostic test manufacturer Sugentech Inc., whose shares jumped 26% in morning trading. The shares of vaccine manufacturer Cellid Co. also showed significant growth, increasing by 17%, and mask manufacturer Welcron Co., which added 5.6% at auction in Seoul. The Hong Kong market saw a rise in shares of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, a manufacturer of mRNA vaccines, which rose 5%, while Sinopharm Group Co. shares rose 1.5%. This Asian dynamic was a logical continuation of the growth of shares of American companies related to the production of vaccines on Friday. For example, Moderna Inc.'s share price increased by 5.3%, while American depositary receipts of BioNTech SE, Pfizer Inc.'s partner in developing a Covid-19 vaccine, increased by 1.8%.
