GLOBAL MARKETS-Economic worries hit world stocks, sterling

Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:48am EDT
 
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* MSCI world equity index down 0.7 percent at 338.91

* Sterling and other high-yielding currencies tumble

* BoE report, Japan GDP, JPMorgan fan credit/economy worries

By Natsuko Waki

LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Investors cut back on risky assets on Wednesday, dumping stocks and high-yielding currencies on global credit and economic worries while they pushed sterling to a 11-1/2 year low after a Bank of England inflation report.

Wednesday's data provided fresh evidence that U.S. economic problems are spilling over to the rest of the world. Japan's economy contracted in the second quarter at the sharpest rate in seven years, reinforcing the view that the world's No. 2 economy has slipped into recession.

In the quarterly report which highlighted the possibility of a UK recession, the BoE said domestic inflation will fall below its 2 percent target in two years and warned that growth risks remained on the downside. "The tone is clearly dovish, with the economy now expected broadly to stagnate over the next year or so," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics.

"Against that background, we stick to the view that interest rates will eventually fall very sharply once inflation pressures finally recede. Market rate expectations therefore have scope to fall much further in time."

Sterling fell as low as $1.8737 GBP= while it hit a 11-1/2 year low on the trade-weighted index =GBP.

The MSCI main world equity index .MIWD00000PUS fell 0.7 percent while emerging stocks .MSCIEF fell to a one-year low of 975.37.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index .FTEU3 fell more than 1 percent. U.S. stock futures SPc1 fell 0.2 percent, pointing to a weak open on Wall Street.

News that JPMorgan (JPM.N) has racked up $1.5 billion of losses so far this quarter on mortgage-linked assets and an outlook warning from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) reminded investors that the fallout from the year-old credit crisis is far from over.

HIGH-YIELDING VICTIMS

The New Zealand dollar, which boasts the highest interest rate in the industrialised world, fell 2 percent to a two-year low near 74 yen NZDJPY=R while the Aussie also fell 2 percent to a four-month low near 93 yen AUDJPY=R.

The two currencies have been under pressure as expectations intensify that falling commodity prices will encourage central banks there to cut interest rates.  Continued...

 

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