Monday, October 06, 2008

Asian markets plunge on fears crisis is spreading

By ALEX KENNEDY
Associated Press Writer


SINGAPORE - Asian stock markets plunged Monday as investors took scant comfort from Washington's passage of a $700 billion bank bailout and focused instead on deepening financial turmoil in Europe that threatens to slow global growth.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 average was down 4.4 percent to 10,452, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slid 3.7 percent to 17,198.

Markets in mainland China, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand also fell sharply. Indonesia's key index plunged more than 5 percent.

Traders were spooked by Germany's announcement Sunday of a new bailout package totaling 50 billion euros ($69 billion) for Hypo Real Estate, the country's second-biggest commercial property lender, part of a scramble by European governments to save failing banks.

On Sunday, Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said that France's BNP Paribas SA had committed to taking a 75-percent stake in troubled bank Fortis NV. British treasury chief Alistair Darling also said he was ready to take "pretty big steps that we wouldn't take in ordinary times" to help the country weather the credit crunch.

A dismal report Friday on the U.S. job market also added to the gloom, raising concerns about weakening American consumer demand for Asian exports.

"This credit crunch looks like it's not going away any time soon," said Alex Tang, head of research at brokerage Core Pacific-Yamaichi in Hong Kong. "Apart from a credit crunch in Europe, investors are quite concerned about the worsening outlook on the U.S. economy."

"We haven't seen any positive developments in Europe or the U.S., apart from the rescue plan," Tang said. "But even with the rescue plan, investors are focused on the slowing economy."

Concerns about fallout from the crisis overshadowed any investor optimism over the U.S. House of Representatives' approval Friday of a massive bailout plan that will allow the U.S. government to buy distressed mortgages and securities backed by mortgages from banks and other financial institutions.

U.S. stock index futures were more than a percent lower, suggesting Wall Street was in for another slide when trading opened Monday morning. On Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 157.47, or 1.5 percent, to 10,325.38.

In currencies, the dollar rose against the euro, which slid to $1.3618 from $1.3774 late Friday, but declined to 103.11 yen from 105.30 yen Friday.

Oil prices tumbled on speculation that slower global growth will cut crude demand. Light, sweet crude for November delivery was down $1.85 to $92.03 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now, I want to see that the Cambodian government have the stock market in Cambodia by the early 2009.

Anonymous said...

I am in, and I don't care what critics said. We should have this long ago. We can't wait for perfection. Everything must start somewhere, and let destiny takes its course.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that Cambodia didn't have stock market! Otherwise Cambodian people would lose all their money even the shirt on their back!

Anonymous said...

Will the free market work in Cambodia, given a notoriously rampant corruption in Cambodia?

Anonymous said...

Only idiot would think corruption is serious in Cambodia. If that were the case, Cambodia couldn't be one of the fastest growing countries on the planet.

Accordingly, just imagine a theory that suggest if you want to be a fastest growing country in the world, you should be notoriously corrupted. Doesn't that sounds retarded?

Anonymous said...

Well well again!

Don't forget the Yuon to the south-east and Siamese to the north-west!

Regardless whichever political wing but we have to be united.

Otherwise we will be CHET ROY or TAI Lave!

Anonymous said...

Dream on! Don't you know "United" is UnKhmer?

Anonymous said...

Puthor puthor

Anonymous said...

Are you crazy for this fucking Cambodian country to have the stock market, these fucked Khmern must be fucking crazy with your fucked retarded PM.

Your PM is the most fucked on this earth.

Anonymous said...

Well, if it is so bad, then why did you come to do business here?

Anonymous said...

A good grease under the table, or tea money for a good cup of tea, and, of course, you'll have to take care these son-of-bitches from here and there to keep these fuckers happy -- you'll be fucked, because these fuckers will scapgoat you.

Fuck the business in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like nickles and dimes shit. Stop being so stingy, dude; but fine go and do business in the US and see how much it will cost to make a pair of sock. I am sure it will be more than a cup of tea.