Policymakers could recommend banks establish backup facilities and the Federal Reserve could stand ready with emergency loans to limit economic shock waves.

Citigroup and Morgan Stanley told employees not to travel internationally for nonessential business, expanding earlier restrictions in Wall Street's latest responses to the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus, also called Covid-19, is wreaking havoc on the stock market, with a heightened effect on the travel industry. It could also cause a drastic change in payment habits, as consumers shift to digital channels to reduce their risk of infection from handling cash.

The bank added Italy to the list of countries off-limits to employees after restricting travel to and from Asia for the last several weeks.

With health organizations warning of a global outbreak, banks are starting to assess the risks to their bottom lines.

The Massachusetts senator and presidential candidate sent a letter to CEOs of five of the largest U.S. banks asking about their response to the outbreak.

How New York became Wells Fargo's new center of power; banks walk fine line in preparing for a coronavirus outbreak in U.S.; bankers on Bernie's electoral chances and whether a Sanders presidency would pose a threat; and more from this week's most-read stories.

With the world gripped in panic over the rapid spread of the coronavirus — and the stock market falling in response — payments companies have been left to speculate on what it all means to their operations in an increasingly global economy.