Libyan unrest has triggered a surge in oil prices. Unlike Egypt, Libya exports 1.1 million barrels of oil per day. The turmoil drove Brent crude prices to a multiyear high of of $105.per barrel.

European equities fell 1% and gold powered above $1,400 per ounce. For weeks the Egyptian unrest did not affect the markets. In fact U.S. equities rallied to new two-year highs. Now, however, the situation is different. Libya has taken a hard line against protesters, throwing the country into a deep crisis.

Continue reading Libyan Unrest Triggers Oil Price Surge

Libyan Unrest Triggers Oil Price Surge originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Europe is hot, if you don't look too far over your shoulder. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index played well through the stock market recovery of 2009, ticking up 28% (60% from its March 2009 low). This was the index's best annual performance in a decade.

Basic resources and banks gained 100% and 46%, respectively, this year, after having turned in dismal performances the year before. China helped, as well, with its elevated economic growth forecast good for another 0.5% gain during the shortened week of Christmas.

Continue reading Good Year, Bad Decade for Europe

Good Year, Bad Decade for Europe originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Overseas markets got remarkable worse overnight. The Japanese Nikkei dropped 11.4% to 8,458. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong moved down 6.1% to 15,027. The Shanghai Composite dropped 4.3% to 1,910.

In early trading in Europe, the British FTSE fell 5.8% to to 3,842. The German DAX was off 5.4% to 4,602, and the French CAC 40 dropped 5.9% to 3,182.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Japan market off 11%, rest of global markets mangled originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading In Europe, selling but no panic as U.S. Fed intervenes

In Europe, selling but no panic as U.S. Fed intervenes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oil falls to $88 on Asia/Europe sell-off, global slowdown concerns

Oil falls to $88 on Asia/Europe sell-off, global slowdown concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Selling in Europe accelerated throughout the day. The fuel behind the drop appeared to be fear of a global slowdown and the impression that the Bush package to stimulate the economy would be too little, too late.

Watching the big markets in Europe left the impression of a simple and blind panic without a specific trigger. Investors simply wanted out, goaded by concerns that stocks have much further to fall. By the last hour of trading, the lemmings were running in force.

The German DAX was hit hardest, plunging 7.2% to 6,790. Shares in global mega-conglomerate Siemens (NYSE: SI) dropped 8.5%.

In the UK, the FTSE sold off 5.5% to 5,578. But there was real carnage among metal and mining companies. Both Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) and BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) dropped over 10%, killing over $25 billion in market cap. A recession would probably slow demand for commodities, driving the profits out of these companies. BHP has also talked about taking on tens of billions of dollars in debt to buy RTP. Such talk is not popular in times of tight credit.

The large banks in France, lead by BNP Paribas, fell through recent trading lows.

Hardly a single stock was spared.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Europe sell-off ends badly; German DAX sinks 7.2% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As bad news mounts and fears grow about the impending recession, stock markets dropped around the world in Monday trading. Adding to the woes, analysts expect that the Bank of China may have to write off at least 25% of its $8 billion [subscription required] mortgage securities holdings in the U.S. Prior to these reports, the bank had only admitted to the need for a $322 million provision for losses, according to today's Wall Street Journal.

Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index took its steepest fall since its Sept. 11, 2001 tumble, dropping 4.2%. Since it reached its 6 1/2 year high in June, the index has dropped 22%. A drop of more than 20% puts this market officially into bear territory.

Other key losers today include:

• France's CAC 40 lost 5.1%
  
• UK's FTSE 100 dropped 4%
• Germany's DAX went down 5.9%
• MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 3.7% and the MCSI Emerging Markets Index fell 5.1%
• Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gave up 5.5%
• Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 5.1%

With this type of global bloodbath, expect U.S. stocks to tank when they reopen tomorrow. They are closed today for the holiday. Investors are seeking safe havens in bonds and currencies.

Lita Epstein has written more than 20 books including "Trading for Dummies."

Worldwide stock markets decline originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barclays Plc.'s (LON:BARC)$80 billion deal to buy European rival ABN Amro Holdings NV (NYSE:ABN) will add to the pressure on banking and financial services sector stocks which have performed poorly this year amid concerns about the economy and the housing market.

A combined Barclays-ABN Amro would be a formidable competitor. There's little geographic overlap between the two banks and about the only area where there is duplication is in fixed-income investment banking, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The merger would be the largest ever in the financial services sector and would create the second-largest bank in Europe, according to Bloomberg News.

This has not been a good year for financial services stocks.

Shares of Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE:MER) are down 12 percent, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is down 9 percent, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has fallen 6 percent while Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB) has plunged 4 percent. Even Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) has only managed to gain 2 percent.

If these stocks don't start to perform significantly better, you can bet more mergers of the size of Barclays-ABN Amro will occur.

U.S. firms will feel the heat from Barclays-ABN merger originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shanghai Composite gains 3.94%; will the Dow bounce back? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.