Eurozone ministers are gathering in Luxembourg to discuss plans to lower government borrowing costs as Spain’s bond yields hit a 16 year high.
The government paid a yield of 6.07% on five year bonds up from 4.96% in May. The 2.2 billion euros raised will fund 61% of the Spanish government’s operations and debt payments for the rest of 2012. Continue reading
Moody’s cut the credit ratings of Belgian and Dutch banks, attributing the cuts to the current euro zone crisis.
“Dutch banks will face difficult operating conditions throughout 2012 and possibly beyond,” Moody’s told the BBC.
Long-term ratings were cut at least one level with most getting cut two levels. Continue reading
The possible departure of Greece from the euro zone combined with the worsening economic conditions in Spain and record high unemployment in the euro zone are threatening to cause a disintegration of the continent wide currency.
Olli Rehn, Brussels’ most senior economic official, says unless the nations that use the Euro are bound closer together the euro zone could collapse.
Italy’s leaders called for using euro bonds to create a path to “common debt” for Europe. Spain’s government is proposing a common fiscal authority for Europe to sync budgets of the member nations and manage overall debts. Continue reading
The US economy’s unemployment rate increased slightly in April while the Eurozone’s held steady at a record high level.
The news sent all the US stock markets plunging lower in morning trading. The jobless rate in the US increased to 8.2%, up .1%, according to the Labor Department report. The number of jobs added in March and April was revised down by 49,000 and there are now five million fewer jobs in the US than at the start of the recession. Continue reading
The contraction rate of manufacturing in Spain ranked higher than Greece’s rate in the month of May. Spain’s rate declined at the highest rate since May 2009.
Spain’s figure of 42.0 was the worst in the eurozone below Greece’s level of 43.1.
The manufacturing decline in many of the endangered eurozone nations is beginning to impact the stronger nations like France and Germany. Continue reading
Amid concerns about looming bank failures in Spain, the European Commission is proposing providing bailout funds to banks directly rather than going through individual governments.
Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso cited the need for flexibility and speed in sending the funds directlyto banks. Also being placed on the table is a debate about creating a “banking union” similar to the Euro Zone.
The Greek government gave 18 billion euros to its four biggest banks in an attempt to allow the banks access to European Central Bank funds.
Two government officials told Reuters that the government is trying to revive the country’s falling tax revenue but that it has a 3 billion euro fund remaining from the country’s first bailout to pay bills should the tax revenue not recover. Continue reading
