Global stocks sink as Turkey fears hurt emerging markets

BEIJING – Global stock prices sank Monday as Turkey’s financial turmoil fueled fears of contagion in other emerging markets.

KEEPING SCORE: In early trading, Germany’s DAX declined 0.5 per cent to 12,358.17 and London’s FTSE 100 retreated 0.5 per cent to 7,630.63. France’s CAC 40 lost 0.1 per cent to 5,406.76. On Friday, the DAX fell 2 per cent, the CAC 40 lost 1.6 per cent and the FTSE was down 1 per cent. On Wall Street, futures for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and Dow Jones industrial averages were down 0.3 per cent.

ASIA’S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3 per cent to 2,785.87 and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 2 per cent to 21,857.43. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng retreated 1.5 per cent to 27,936.57 and Seoul’s Kospi was 1.5 per cent lower at 2,248.45. Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.4 per cent to 6,252.20 and India’s Sensex was off 0.2 per cent at 33,755.14. Benchmarks in New Zealand, Taiwan and Southeast Asia also declined.

WALL STREET: Investors responded to Turkey jitters by selling equities and buying government bonds. The dollar strengthened as traders dumped Turkish lira. Major exporters including technology, basic materials and industrial companies sank. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slid 0.7 per cent to 2,833.28, ending a five-week winning streak. The Nasdaq composite broke an eight-day rising trend and sank 0.7 per cent to 7,839.11.

TURKISH TURMOIL: Investors question whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government can cope with a plunging currency, a diplomatic spat with Washington and other problems. Erdogan has accumulated more and more control over Turkey’s financial system and central bank. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he will authorize higher tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum. That came after Turkey put an American pastor on trial on spying charges. Erdogan promised Sunday his government will take unspecified “necessary actions” to calm markets.

ANALYST’S TAKE: “Turkey’s financial crisis has taken centre stage, displacing trade wars as the immediate concern,” said Eugene Leow of DBS Group in a report. Worries are building that “this may lead to contagion” across emerging markets, said Leow. “We fail to see how the crisis can be resolved without external support,” but an International Monetary Fund support package will be difficult “given Turkey’s current political situation.”

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 8 cents to $67.55 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract closed at $67.63 on Friday. Brent crude lost 4 cents to $72.79 in London. It closed at $72.83 the previous session.

CURRENCIES: The dollar declined to 110.34 yen from Friday’s 110.93. The euro fell to $1.1382 from $1.1411.