PARIS, May 29, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – European stocks, bonds and the euro fell on
Monday as political chaos in Italy rattled investors who feared the
nomination of a caretaker government will only delay, but not avert, a
eurozone crisis, analysts said.
Oil prices extended losses, meanwhile, after Saudi Arabia and Russia
signalled they could raise output, while Asian stock markets rose on signs
that Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un could be back on.
Milan’s FTSE MIB stock index had a rollercoaster day, starting with a two-
percent surge as investors greeted with relief President Sergio Mattarella’s
veto against the nomination of fierce eurosceptic Paolo Savona as economy
minister.
But a growing feeling that Italian politics are far from out of the woods
quickly caused a Milan stock market downturn, also sparking a reversal in
Paris and Frankfurt, as well as weakness in the euro.
Italy is mired in political chaos after the anti-establishment Five Star
Movement and the far-right League’s bid to form a government collapsed.
– Spread widens –
The Italian president has now appointed Carlo Cottarelli, a pro-austerity
economist formerly with the International Monetary Fund, to lead a technocrat
government, ahead of likely fresh elections in the autumn.
Italy’s debt-risk premium rose as the yield on the government’s 10-year
bonds — the return an investor gets on holding the bond — spiked to 235
points above that of German debt which is the eurozone’s benchmark, its
highest level in over four years.
This was 29 basis points more than late Friday.
Yields typically rise at times of stress as investors demand higher
returns if they are to buy a country’s bonds.
Meanwhile the euro also dropped against the dollar after earlier
positivity gave way to fear of a drawn-out crisis.
“The planned eurosceptic governing coalition will not initially be
possible. However, it looks like there will be new elections in the autumn,
which could see the populists emerge with a bigger share of the votes,”
Commerzbank Commodity Research analysts said in a note.
The single currency was also hurt by the prospect of upheaval in Spain,
where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces a no-confidence vote after his party
was found guilty of benefiting from illegal funds in a massive graft trial.
– Oil slips –
WTI oil futures contract tanked Monday, extending last week’s losses,
after Saudi oil minister Khaled al-Faleh said his country could open the taps
wider in the second half of the year to insure against any supply shocks.
His Russian counterpart Alexander Novak said they discussed whether they
need to ease production limits set in 2016.
The comments come as supply worries increase, with major producer
Venezuela hit by economic uncertainty, Iran facing painful export sanctions
and demand seen picking up.
Asian markets meanwhile mostly rose on renewed hopes for a Trump-Kim
summit after the US president appeared Friday to make a U-turn 24 hours after
cancelling the meeting.
On Sunday Trump tweeted that a US team “has arrived in North Korea to make
arrangements for the summit”.
He added: “I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be
a great economic and financial Nation one day. Kim Jong Un agrees with me on
this. It will happen!”
– Key figures around 1545 GMT –
Milan – FTSE Mib: DOWN 2.1 percent at 21,933 points (close)
Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.6 percent at 5,508.93 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX 30: DOWN 0.6 percent at 12,863.46 (close)
EURO STOXX 50 – DOWN 0.9 percent at 3,482.64 (close)
London – FTSE 100: Closed for public holiday
New York – Dow: Closed for public holiday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1624 from $1.1661 at 2100 GMT on Friday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3304 from $1.3312
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 109.35 yen from 109.55 yen
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.1 percent at 22,481.09 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng: UP 0.7 percent at 30,792.26 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,135.08 (close)
Oil – West Texas Intermediate: DOWN $1.41 at $66.47 per barrel
Oil – Brent Crude: DOWN $1.12 at $75.32
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1027 hrs