SYDNEY: Asian shares slid, Treasuries extended gains and gold hit a new high on Friday as signs of credit stress at U.S. regional banks unnerved investors and had markets baying for more Federal Reserve policy easing.
European stocks looked set for a sharp fall at the open, with EURO STOXX 50 futures down 1% and FTSE futures 1.1% lower. Both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures lost 0.6% ahead of more earnings from U.S. regional banks later in the day.
