This Blog is also available as an
RSS Feed
Markets
- Emergency Measures by Fed Hope to Boost Market Confidence - 7 October 2008
- Senate-Approved Bailout Plan Heads for House Vote - 2 October 2008
- U.K.’s Bradford & Bingley – Another Financial Sector Casualty - 29 September 2008
- Caution Called For In $700 Billion Bailout Plan - 23 September 2008
- Investors Remain Apprehensive Despite AIG Bailout - 18 September 2008
- Lehman, Merrill, AIG Exacerbate Financial Sector Challenges - 15 September 2008
- LSE’s Technology Woes May Prove Beneficial for Competitors - 10 September 2008
Before the day even began, stock market players knew that Monday was going to present enormous challenges. With unanswered questions as to how the $700 billion financial sector bailout plan would be put into action, and how quickly the economy would see any benefit from it, Monday proved to be a rocky road for U.S. markets, and global markets did not fare any better. News of European financial institutions Hypo Real Estate AG and Fortis NV having to be rescued, only served to make a bad situation worse, as did the ongoing speculation that authorities in Europe are setting up a bailout package of their own.
Following more than three hours of floor debate on Wednesday night, the Senate passed a revised version of the controversial $700 billion financial sector bailout plan, by a vote of 74 to 25. Both Presidential candidates, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, voted in favor of the plan that the House of Representatives must approve before it can be put into action. It is anticipated that the House will vote on Friday and proponents of the plan are optimistic that the vote will go their way.
While U.S. officials hammer out the details of the much publicized $700 billion bailout of financial institutions, the U.K. is also facing a host of problems relating to the financial sector, calling for bailout plans at the expense of embattled British taxpayers. U.K. officials are currently dealing with the collapse of Yorkshire-based Bradford & Bingley (LSE: BB), a major U.K. bank with 197 branches and 140 agencies, and just under one million shareholders.
Friday’s elated response at stock exchanges, to US Federal Government’s proposal to buy troubled assets from financial institutions was short-lived as reality set in with regard to the sheer magnitude of the problem, along with doubts as to whether a bailout would unfreeze the credit market, and concerns over the burden that the proposed $700 billion bailout would place on American taxpayers. Monday saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop by 372.75 points, with the S&P 500 losing 47.99 points and NASDAQ slipping by 94.92 points, being 3.3%, 3.8% and 4.2% respectively. Plagued by uncertainty with regard to the financial sector, money poured into gold and crude oil futures, resulting in a sharp spike in oil prices, and further volatility in the market.
The Federal Reserve’s $85 billion life-line thrown to AIG late Tuesday, has done little or nothing to boost confidence in the U.S. financial sector. Wall Street experienced yet another nightmarish day on Wednesday as stock markets continued to tumble. Investors are extremely concerned that even government intervention may not be enough to stop the financial crisis from spinning out of control, and uppermost in many minds is the question of “Who will be next?”
Factors which will no doubt play a major role in the markets on Monday 15 September, especially in the financial sector, include the fact that Wall Street stalwart Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) announced that it plans to file for bankruptcy, while negotiations are underway for global financial services firm, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MER, TYO: 8675) to be sold to Bank of America, and insurer American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG, TYO:8685, ISEQ: AIN) is undergoing a major restructure.
Recent rumblings of concern with regard to the increase in algorithmic, or black-box, trading, as well as stock exchanges becoming too reliant on technology, may very well be valid when considering the computer malfunction on Monday at the London Stock Exchange. Certainly, this could not have come at a worse time for the world’s third largest exchange. News of the U.S. federal government take-over of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac triggered a flurry of activity in world-wide markets resulting in one of the biggest market rallies in the past five months – and LSE investors and dealers stood by helplessly, like a penniless child looking through a candy store window.
< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 >
- Video: Sanofi Board May Support Genzyme Bid; Visa May Face Suit: Video
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 12:17 pm - Video: Hambrecht Says BASF to Outpace Global Chemical Industry
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 10:48 am - Video: Spain's Catalonia Bans Bullfighting After Popular Outcry: Video
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 10:17 am - Video: Brennan Says AstraZeneca to Mull More Buybacks in 2011
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 10:12 am - Video: Lagarde Sees 'Serious Pickup' for Global Growth in 2011
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 10:08 am - Video: Pelham Smithers Says Sony Yet to Hit Earnings Potential
- Thursday 29 July 2010, 9:10 am
- Influential Institutional Investors
- Thursday 11 March 2010 - Markets - January Ends on Low Note Dragged Down by Techs
- Monday 1 February 2010 - Markets - Passive vs. Active Investing Management
- Thursday 31 December 2009 - Markets - Dollar Remains Near Two Month High
- Thursday 17 December 2009 - Markets - Auto and Gasoline Sales Help Boost November Retail Sales Growth
- Monday 14 December 2009 - Markets - $2,000 Gold is Coming
- Saturday 5 December 2009 - Markets

Airplanes
Auto Racing
Birds
China Trade
Horse Racing
Musicians
Snow Skiing
Algeria
Ecuador
Bangladesh
Morocco
Nepal
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Russia
Scotland
South Africa
Ukraine
Virtual Countries
kennedy edahdike: with a dynamic emerging global power,a bouyant stock market is a sine qua non for develpoment,the po...
www.stockmarkets.com/exchanges/asia/chinese-stock-exchange/
Modjtaba M.Mansouri: search for be an member of this web site and get latest news about stocks in world....
www.stockmarkets.com/exchanges/asia/
Suraj Anand: Thank you for a very good explanation of this term. ...
www.stockmarkets.com/blog/should-investors-fear-upcoming-quadruple-witching-hour
desimone: how do i invest in telefonica del peru directly in quito...any suggestions?...
www.stockmarkets.com/exchanges/south-america/
osemudiamen: how can i as a foreigner invest in the BME?...
www.stockmarkets.com/exchanges/europe/spanish-stock-exchange/