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GLOBAL MARKETS-World stocks, euro slide on Greece default fears
* US stocks fall more than 1 pct as financials weigh
* Euro drops to 8-1/2 month low versus dollar
* Bank shares down in Europe on fears of Greece default
NEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - World stocks fell on Monday and the euro slid to an 8-1/2 month low versus the dollar as growing fears of a Greek default stoked appetite for safe-haven U.S. Treasury bonds.
Better-than-expected U.S. economic data initially cushioned a fall in U.S. stocks as Wall Street indexes briefly turned positive after the release of a key manufacturing activity index. But they fell more than 1 percent in the afternoon as financials weighed.
Bank shares were also battered in Europe as investors feared the impact of a Greek default on holders of the country's bonds, such as Franco Belgian financial group Dexia (DEXI.BR), whose stock slumped more than 10 percent.
Greece admitted it will miss its deficit target of 7.6 percent this year, making a Greek debt default look more likely. In a draft budget sent to parliament on Monday, the government forecast a deficit of 8.5 percent of gross domestic product for 2011.
"This news isn't surprising, but if Greece continues to have problems, that could really drag Europe into recession, and possibly the U.S. as well," said Randall Warren, chief investment officer of Warren Financial Service in Exton, Pennsylvania.
European policymakers appeared no nearer to agreeing on a definitive solution to the crisis. Officials meeting on Monday were discussing ways to leverage the bloc's rescue fund and pressure Greece to implement agreed structural reforms. For details, see [ID:nL5E7L20LD].
"Ultimately, Greece would need to see its debt written down by more and with that you need probably some kind of shoring up of the banking sector," said Alec Letchfield, chief investment officer at HSBC Asset Management.
U.S. stocks extended losses in the afternoon as the KBW bank index .BKX fell 2.4 percent. On Friday, stocks closed their worst quarter since 2008.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI lost 184.02 points, or 1.69 percent, at 10,729.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 22.41 points, or 1.98 percent, at 1,109.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 53.89 points, or 2.23 percent, at 2,361.51.
The MSCI All-Country World index .MIWD00000PUS was 2 percent lower, near a 14-month low set in September. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 of top European shares ended 1.2 percent lower.
The October-December period is, traditionally, the best quarter for equities. Reuters data shows that since 1971, world stocks have on average risen 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter.
Dexia closed 10.16 percent lower after credit agency Moody's announced a rating review for possible downgrade on concerns about liquidity. French daily Les Echos said on Friday that Belgian and French finance ministers would meet to discuss ways of shoring up the firm's balance sheet.
U.S. crude oil CLc1 fell 1.5 percent to $77.99 a barrel.
The euro EUR=EBS fell as low as $1.32372 EUR=EBS on trading platform EBS, a fresh 8-1/2-month low. It was last down 0.9 percent at $1.3261.
Against the safe-haven yen, the euro was down 0.9 percent at 102.194 yen EURJPY=EBS on EBS, not far from its decade low of 101.946 struck in September.
"Euro zone bank issues remain a big issue and we expect the euro's downside to continue," said George Saravelos, G10 FX strategist at Deutsche Bank.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note US10YT=RR was up 33/32 in price, causing its yield to fall to 1.802 percent. Treasuries prices were also supported by the Federal Reserve's first bond purchase for Operation Twist, its latest bond program aimed at helping the U.S. economy.
* US stocks fall more than 1 pct as financials weigh
* Euro drops to 8-1/2 month low versus dollar
* Bank shares down in Europe on fears of Greece default
NEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - World stocks fell on Monday and the euro slid to an 8-1/2 month low versus the dollar as growing fears of a Greek default stoked appetite for safe-haven U.S. Treasury bonds.
Better-than-expected U.S. economic data initially cushioned a fall in U.S. stocks as Wall Street indexes briefly turned positive after the release of a key manufacturing activity index. But they fell more than 1 percent in the afternoon as financials weighed.
Bank shares were also battered in Europe as investors feared the impact of a Greek default on holders of the country's bonds, such as Franco Belgian financial group Dexia (DEXI.BR), whose stock slumped more than 10 percent.
Greece admitted it will miss its deficit target of 7.6 percent this year, making a Greek debt default look more likely. In a draft budget sent to parliament on Monday, the government forecast a deficit of 8.5 percent of gross domestic product for 2011.
"This news isn't surprising, but if Greece continues to have problems, that could really drag Europe into recession, and possibly the U.S. as well," said Randall Warren, chief investment officer of Warren Financial Service in Exton, Pennsylvania.
European policymakers appeared no nearer to agreeing on a definitive solution to the crisis. Officials meeting on Monday were discussing ways to leverage the bloc's rescue fund and pressure Greece to implement agreed structural reforms. For details, see [ID:nL5E7L20LD].
"Ultimately, Greece would need to see its debt written down by more and with that you need probably some kind of shoring up of the banking sector," said Alec Letchfield, chief investment officer at HSBC Asset Management.
U.S. stocks extended losses in the afternoon as the KBW bank index .BKX fell 2.4 percent. On Friday, stocks closed their worst quarter since 2008.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI lost 184.02 points, or 1.69 percent, at 10,729.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was down 22.41 points, or 1.98 percent, at 1,109.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 53.89 points, or 2.23 percent, at 2,361.51.
The MSCI All-Country World index .MIWD00000PUS was 2 percent lower, near a 14-month low set in September. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 of top European shares ended 1.2 percent lower.
The October-December period is, traditionally, the best quarter for equities. Reuters data shows that since 1971, world stocks have on average risen 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter.
Dexia closed 10.16 percent lower after credit agency Moody's announced a rating review for possible downgrade on concerns about liquidity. French daily Les Echos said on Friday that Belgian and French finance ministers would meet to discuss ways of shoring up the firm's balance sheet.
U.S. crude oil CLc1 fell 1.5 percent to $77.99 a barrel.
The euro EUR=EBS fell as low as $1.32372 EUR=EBS on trading platform EBS, a fresh 8-1/2-month low. It was last down 0.9 percent at $1.3261.
Against the safe-haven yen, the euro was down 0.9 percent at 102.194 yen EURJPY=EBS on EBS, not far from its decade low of 101.946 struck in September.
"Euro zone bank issues remain a big issue and we expect the euro's downside to continue," said George Saravelos, G10 FX strategist at Deutsche Bank.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note US10YT=RR was up 33/32 in price, causing its yield to fall to 1.802 percent. Treasuries prices were also supported by the Federal Reserve's first bond purchase for Operation Twist, its latest bond program aimed at helping the U.S. economy.