Rattled investors fret over Europe, US

THE sharemarket has closed sharply lower after its biggest one-day fall in four months.

By InvestSMART · 14 Nov 2012

By InvestSMART ·
14 Nov 2012

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THE sharemarket has closed sharply lower after its biggest one-day fall in four months.

Investors fretted over the continuing bailout of Greece and negotiations in the US to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" that threatens to derail the wider world economy.

On Tuesday, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index was down 68.2 points, or 1.53 per cent, at 4379.8. It was the biggest one-day fall on the S&P/ASX 200 since July 23 when the index fell 1.69 per cent.

Stocks fell as European finance ministers delayed approval of the next instalment of a massive bailout loan for debt-ridden Greece.

European finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday gave Greece until 2016 to reduce its deficit and restructure its economy but postponed approval of the next instalment of a bailout loan.

The fiscal cliff in the US refers to government spending cuts and tax increases that are scheduled to start in the new year, unless a divided Congress and the White House can work out a compromise.

OptionsXpress market analyst Ben Le Brun said the Australian sharemarket experienced selling across all sectors, with the sell-off gaining momentum during the session. Investors were waiting to see if there would be an interest rate cut in Australia in December, and recent bad corporate news locally added to an air of uncertainty.

Among the big banks, ANZ was off 40? at $24.05, National Australia descended 53? to $23.11, Westpac dumped 55? at $24.80, and Commonwealth Bank fell 70? to $58.70.

Global insurer QBE was 88? lower at $10.92 after several broker downgrades and speculation that a capital raising would be insufficient, Mr Le Brun said. QBE shares have fallen sharply after it on Monday downgraded earnings expectations in the wake of superstorm Sandy in the US.

Among resource stocks, BHP Billiton was 55? lower at $33.75 as it was given until 2016 to go ahead with the expansion at the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia.

Rio Tinto lost 97? to $57.67 as it said a planned strike at its Blair Athol coalmine over claims of unfair redundancy payments would have minimal impact.

Seven West Media jumped 13?, to $1.29 after it told shareholders it expected to record lower first-half earnings in a difficult media market, and outlined cost-cutting targets. Incitec Pivot was 11? higher at $3.02 as it said it was taking steps to reduce the risk associated with its fertiliser business while continuing to focus on expanding its explosives business, especially in Asia.

The price of gold in Sydney was $US1725.49 a fine ounce, down $US9.97 on Monday's closing price of $US1735.46. National turnover was 1.64 billion shares worth $4.66 billion, with 661 stocks down, 301 up and 360 unchanged.

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

Why did the ASX sharemarket close sharply lower today?

The S&P/ASX 200 fell 68.2 points (1.53%) to 4,379.8 — its biggest one-day drop in about four months — after investors reacted to a delay in approval of the next instalment of Greece’s bailout and ongoing US 'fiscal cliff' negotiations. The combination of global political risk, selling across all sectors and recent local corporate disappointments drove the sell-off.

How did worries about the Greece bailout affect Australian stocks?

European finance ministers postponed approval of the next bailout payment and gave Greece until 2016 to reduce its deficit, creating uncertainty about the eurozone recovery. That uncertainty weighed on global risk sentiment and contributed to broad selling on the ASX.

What is the US 'fiscal cliff' and why did it rattle investors?

The 'fiscal cliff' refers to a package of automatic spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to start in the new year unless Congress and the White House reach a deal. Investors feared the potential economic drag if politicians didn’t compromise, which helped to push markets lower.

How did Australia’s major banks perform during the sell-off?

Big bank shares fell across the board. ANZ was trading around $24.05, National Australia around $23.11, Westpac around $24.80 and Commonwealth Bank around $58.70, as the market-wide rout hit financials hard.

Which individual stocks moved notably and what drove those moves?

QBE fell to about $10.92 after broker downgrades and speculation over a capital raising, following an earnings downgrade tied to Superstorm Sandy. BHP was lower at about $33.75 after being given until 2016 to proceed with the Olympic Dam expansion. Rio Tinto was around $57.67 amid a planned strike at Blair Athol. On the upside, Seven West Media jumped to about $1.29 after flagging lower first-half earnings but outlining cost cuts, and Incitec Pivot rose to about $3.02 as it moves to reduce fertilizer-business risk while growing its explosives business in Asia.

What happened to gold and commodities during the session?

Gold in Sydney was quoted at US$1,725.49 an ounce, down US$9.97 from Monday’s close of US$1,735.46. Commodity-affected resource stocks like BHP and Rio Tinto also moved in response to company-specific developments.

How broad was the market sell-off and what was the trading turnover?

National turnover was 1.64 billion shares worth about $4.66 billion. Market breadth showed 661 stocks down, 301 up and 360 unchanged, indicating widespread selling across sectors.

What were investors watching that could influence markets next?

Investors were watching whether European authorities would release further bailout funds for Greece, progress in US fiscal-cliff negotiations, and whether the Reserve Bank of Australia might cut interest rates in December. Local corporate news and earnings updates were also adding to uncertainty.