World stocks slide as pressure on Russia grows

Published July 22, 2014
Global stock markets fell again on Monday as tensions grew.— File photo
Global stock markets fell again on Monday as tensions grew.— File photo

LONDON: Global stock markets fell again on Monday as tensions grew between Russia and the West over the downing of an airliner in eastern Ukraine.

The shooting down last week of the Malaysia Airlines plane with 298 people aboard has worried some investors that Western governments, already alarmed by Russia’s support for rebels in Ukraine’s east, might toughen economic sanctions. The European Union’s foreign ministers will meet Tuesday to discuss such penalties.

Global anger intensifies over downed Malaysia Airlines jet

The disaster, in an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists, has sparked international condemnation and increased pressure on Russia to stop meddling in Ukraine. Russian officials have blamed Ukraine’s government for creating the situation and atmosphere in which the plane was downed.

“The more pressure that builds on Russia the more volatile European indices will be,” said strategist Evan Lucas at IG Markets in a report.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX fell 1.1 per cent to close at 9,612.05 while France’s CAC-40 shed 0.7pc to 4,304.74. Britain’s FTSE 100 dropped 0.3pc to 6,728.44.

Wall Street traded lower, with the Dow falling 0.5pc to 17,013.78 and the S&P 500 dropping by the same rate to 1,968.93.

Earlier, China’s Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.2pc to 2,054.48 points and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was off 0.3pc at 23,387.14. Tokyo was closed for a holiday.

Sydney’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.1pc and Seoul’s Kospi fell 0.1pc. Markets in Southeast Asia were mostly higher. Jakarta rose 0.8pc despite tensions over presidential election results due out Tuesday, with both candidates claiming victor—AP

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2014

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