By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gold rose and global equity markets slid on Tuesday after Apple Inc <AAPL.O> said it was unlikely to meet its sales guidance because of the coronavirus outbreak in China, a warning highlighting the epidemic's threat to global growth and corporate profits.

China reported its fewest new coronavirus infections since January and its lowest daily death toll in a week, but the World Health Organization said data suggesting the epidemic had slowed should be viewed with caution.

Chinese officials reported 1,886 new cases - the first time the daily figure has fallen below 2,000 since Jan. 30. The number of deaths, 98, fell below 100 for the first time since Feb. 11.

Apple said on Monday that manufacturing facilities in China that produce its iPhone and other electronics had begun to reopen, but were ramping up slower than expected.

The disruption in China will result in fewer iPhones available for sale around the world, making Apple one of the largest Western firms to be hurt by the outbreak.

Gold climbed more than 1% to a two-week high as investors sought safety in the wake of Apple's warning. The price of Brent, the global crude benchmark, fell below $57 a barrel but rebounded on reduced supply from oil-rich Libya.

Forecasters, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), have cut 2020 oil demand estimates because of the virus.

Equity markets around the world fell, with MSCI's all-country world index <.MIWD00000PUS> slipping 0.47%.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index <.STOXX> lost 0.38% and emerging market stocks lost 1.11%.

HSBC Holdings PLC's <HSBA.L> announcement that it would shed $100 billion in assets, shrink its investment bank and revamp its U.S. and European businesses in a drastic overhaul added to concerns about the impact of the coronavirus.

The UK-based bank, whose huge Asian operations are headquartered in Hong Kong, said the coronavirus epidemic had significantly impacted staff and customers. HSBC shares fell 6.35%, leading the FTSE 100 index <.FTSE> to close down 0.69%.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> fell 165.89 points, or 0.56%, to 29,232.19. The S&P 500 <.SPX> slid 9.87 points, or 0.29%, to 3,370.29 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> rose 1.57 points, or 0.02%, to 9,732.74.

"We're seeing some renewed weakness in the stock markets following the announcement by Apple," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen. "It's having a global impact on supply chains and shipments - this will have a negative impact on growth expectations."