Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • All Woman
  • Career & Education
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Classifieds
  • Design Week
Global stocks stumble as Greece debt woes escalate
A Greek girl holding a placard reading &ldquo;we stay in Europe&rdquo; during a pro-European demonstration in front of the White Tower in Thessaloniki on Monday. <br />(Photo:AFP)
News
June 28, 2015

Global stocks stumble as Greece debt woes escalate

NEW YORK (AP) — Mounting concerns about Greece drove markets down Monday after talks between the country and its creditors broke down. US stocks fell, while major indexes in Europe took much bigger losses.

Greece’s long-running debt crisis took a dangerous turn over the weekend after Greece’s Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, said his government will hold a referendum on proposals made by the country’s lenders. European officials refused to extend the country’s bailout program, which expires on Tuesday, the same day it’s supposed to make a debt payment to the International Monetary Fund.

The European Central Bank also capped its emergency support for the country’s banks. That prompted the Greek government to close banks and announce limits on withdrawals. Daily cash withdrawals are capped at 60 euros ($67) per account.

“Whenever you see any kind of bank line there is in the back of investors’ mind the thought: ‘What if it spreads? What if people panic?’ ” said Karyn Cavanaugh, senior market strategist at Voya Investment Management. “What’s going on in Europe, of course it’s going to roil markets in the short term.” But for US investor, she said, “the long-term impact is not that big of a deal.”

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was down 26 points, or 1.2 per cent, to 2,076 as of 12:23 pm Eastern. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 220 points, also 1.2 per cent, to 17,723, and the Nasdaq composite fell 72 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 5,009.

The losses were broad. Nine of the 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 index slumped. The only one that rose was utilities, a traditional safety play.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX lost 3.6 per cent while France’s CAC-40 lost 3.7 per cent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares fell 2 per cent. Greece’s stock market was closed.

“The initial market reaction is negative,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief strategist at the brokerage BTIG, in a note to clients. But Greenhaus thinks that this episode in the European debt crisis isn’t as dangerous as previous ones. “We do not think this is Armageddon for the global economy,” he said.

The last time Greece’s troubles shook US markets, there were plenty of other problems. In 2012, Spain had entered a recession, and the worry was that it was too big of a country to rescue. Sputtering US job growth added to the anxiety. That spring, the S&P 500 index lost 9.9 per cent within two months. Investors sought the safety of US Treasury bonds, driving long-term interest to historic lows.

Back then, the fear was that a financial crisis would spread from Greece to the rest of Europe “because these economies were very fragile,” Cavanaugh said. The cost to borrow for 10 years topped 7 percent for Spain and 11 percent for Portugal in 2012. Even with recent turbulence, Spain’s 10-year bond yields 2.32 per cent, and Portugal’s 10-year bond yields 2.87 per cent.

In other trading on Monday, Sysco said it scrapped a proposed $3.5 billion buyout of US Foods after the Federal Trade Commission blocked the deal to combine the two food-service companies.

The FTC argued that the merger it would reduce competition by putting three-quarters of the US market for restaurant suppliers under the control of one company. Scuttling the deal means Sysco has to pay US Foods $300 million in breakup fees. Sysco’s stock sank 87 cents, or 2.3 per cent, to $37.50.

US government bond prices jumped, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note down to 2.35 percent from 2.47 per cent late Friday. The euro rose to $1.1184 against the dollar from $1.1160.

In commodities trading, benchmark U.S. oil fell $1.24 to $58.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many US refineries, fell $1.44 to $61.82 a barrel in London.

The Nikkei 225 stock average in Tokyo slid 2.9 percent following news of a steep drop in industrial production. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 3.3 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 2.6 per cent despite a surprise interest rate cut from China’s central bank.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Title bid ‘over’ if Man City lose to West Ham, says Guardiola
Latest News, Sports
Title bid ‘over’ if Man City lose to West Ham, says Guardiola
March 13, 2026
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) — Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City's Premier League title challenge "will be over" if they fail to beat resurge...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Guyana and Venezuela continue squabble over Essequibo region
Latest News, Regional
Guyana and Venezuela continue squabble over Essequibo region
March 13, 2026
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyana Government says Venezuela has no legal authority over the waters off the Essequibo region as it responded to an ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Swaby presses gov’t on One Road Authority talks
Latest News, News
Swaby presses gov’t on One Road Authority talks
March 13, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby is again calling on the Government to begin conversations about proposals to reintroduce a centrali...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Suriname announces social measures to combat economic impact of Middle East war
Latest News, Regional
Suriname announces social measures to combat economic impact of Middle East war
March 13, 2026
PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC) — Suriname’s President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons says the Government will accelerate the implementation of several social m...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Mideast war could knock 3% off Africa economies: energy regulator
International News, Latest News
Mideast war could knock 3% off Africa economies: energy regulator
March 13, 2026
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Fuel shortages caused by the war in the Middle East could knock up to three per cent off African economies if they persist, a t...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Academic and medical communities mourn passing of Dr Tomlin Paul
Latest News, News
Academic and medical communities mourn passing of Dr Tomlin Paul
March 12, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The regional and international academic community is mourning the passing of Dr Tomlin Paul, a respected physician, medical educat...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Budget Debate: Gov’t hiding behind Hurricane Melissa
Latest News, News
Budget Debate: Gov’t hiding behind Hurricane Melissa
March 12, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesman on Finance Julian Robinson has accused the Government of “hiding behind Hurricane Melissa” in the way it has ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Women diagnosed with breast cancer urged to access care promptly
Latest News, News
Women diagnosed with breast cancer urged to access care promptly
March 12, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Public health specialist, Dr Marcia Johnson-Campbell, is encouraging Jamaican women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer to ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct