Equity market wary of ‘relief rally’ with Covid-19 devastation unknown

A large positive move in stock prices in the past three weeks has buoyed many market commentators, but equities bankers and investors are concerned that equity valuations still do not reflect the severity of the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. If first quarter results or a worsening of the virus are bad enough to drive markets lower still, sufficient harm could be done to investor sentiment to slam shut a vital issuance window for companies desperate to raise cash.