US markets ends modestly lower amid looming euro debt crisis

26 Nov 2011 Evaluate

The US markets finished modestly lower on Friday, as rising euro-zone bond yields kept traders on edge about Europe’s debt crisis. All three benchmark indices ending lower for the week. Investors were skeptic as reduction in Belgium’s credit rating and reports that Greece is demanding bondholders to accept larger losses fueled concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening. The US trading session was shorter than usual on Friday, with trading on the New York Stock Exchange closing at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Also, the trading volumes dropped to the lowest in the year as most traders were away for Thanksgiving holiday.

In Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed their support for Italy, saying that they are aware that the collapse of Italy would inevitably lead to the end of the euro. European Central Bank Executive Board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo urged euro-area politicians to take bold steps toward fiscal union to end the debt crisis, and stated they should not rely on the ECB. Besides, S&P lowered the long-term sovereign credit ratings on Belgium to ‘AA’ from ’AA+’. The outlook is negative.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 25.77 points, or 0.23 percent, to 11,231.80. The Standard and Poor’s 500 closed lower by 3.12 points, or 0.27 percent, to 1,158.67, while the Nasdaq composite lost 18.57 points, or 0.75 percent, to 2,441.51.

The Indian ADRs made a mixed closing on Friday, HDFC Bank was up by 0.61%, Tata Motors was up by 0.51%, Infosys Technologies was up by 0.34% and Tata Communications was up by 0.23%. On the flip side, Sterlite Industries was down by 0.05%.

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