Butchery continues in Asian markets; Euro-zone woes trigger massive risk aversion

15 Dec 2011 Evaluate

Distressed Asian investors relentlessly squared off hefty positions from risky asset classes like equities dragging almost all the equity indices in the region by over one and half a percent. Sentiments got spooked by the endless stream of discouraging developments from the European region, as worries of an onerous debt debacle were reinforced by Italian bond yields rising to a euro-era high. Investors also were rattled tracking the overnight sharp sell-off on Wall Street where stocks extended their declining trend for third straight session led by energy stocks after crude oil prices got pummeled by over four percent for the day.

Meanwhile, the disappointing preliminary Chinese manufacturing PMI data too dented the chances of benchmarks in Asia from gaining any kind of momentum as the PMI reading in world’s second largest economy indicated an overall contraction though some ease in the pace of slowdown was evident. Also, confidence among Japanese manufacturers weakened more than economists expected, highlighting the vulnerability of a post-quake recovery in world’s third largest economy.

Shanghai Composite plummeted 42.77 points or 1.92% to 2,185.76, Hang Seng plunged 355.87 points or 1.94% to 17,998.56, Jakarta Composite sank 66.51 points or 1.77% to 3,685.10, Nikkei 225 shaved-off 112.14 points or 1.32% to 8,406.99, Straits Times slumped 34.58 points or 1.29% to 2,637.81, Seoul Composite shrank 33.66 points or 1.81% to 1,824.09 and Taiwan Weighted slipped 120.72 points or 1.74% to 6,801.85.

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