US markets made a mixed closing amid fiscal cliff concerns

27 Nov 2012 Evaluate
The US markets finished mostly lower on Monday, with the S&P 500 Index ending a five-session winning streak as lawmakers readied to debate the so-called fiscal cliff. This week Congress is back in session after the Thanksgiving break, with lawmakers looking to reach an agreement to avert more than $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and across-the-board spending cuts that would kick in next year at the beginning of 2013 since Bush-era tax cuts will expire and automatic spending cuts will kick in if Congress doesn’t act. White House economists warned the negative impact of sudden increase in tax for middle-income tax payers. National Economic Council and Council of Economic Advisers noted that a one-time increase in taxes for middle-income taxpayers may lead to lower consumer spending by as much as $200 billion. Last week the US consumers were active during the long weekend, giving retailers a robust beginning to the holiday-shopping season. Besides, US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro stated that she will step down from the regulatory agency from December 14. The SEC is struggling to enact and enforce new rules and practices required under a flood of mandates generates by the Dodd-Frank Act. SEC has been criticized during Schapiro’s tenure not going after chief executives of large banks and brokerage houses that contributed to the financial crisis that peaked in September 2008.

In Europe, euro-zone finance ministers met again in Brussels in an effort to settle on the release of another rescue payment to Greece, after failing to do so in two other attempts this month. Finally euro-zone finance ministers, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a plan to cut Greece’s government debt to 124% of gross domestic product by 2020 and to less than 110% of GDP by 2022, paving the way for the country to receive its next tranche of financial aid. Besides in an unexpected move, the Bank of England named Canadian central bank Chief Mark Carney its next governor, taking the reins from outgoing Governor Mervyn King.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 42.31 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 12,967.40, the S&P 500 finished down by 2.86 points, or 0.20 percent at 1,406.29, while the Nasdaq ended higher by 9.93 points, or 0.33 percent to settle at 2,976.78.

Indian ADRs closed mostly in green on Monday, HDFC Bank was up by 0.96%, ICICI Bank was up 0.49% and Infosys was up 0.33%. On the other hand, Tata Communication was down 0.05% and Wipro was down 0.03%.

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