Stocks (MXWD) and the euro declined on concern Europe will struggle to contain the debt crisis. Hungarian shares tumbled and the forint declined as borrowing costs climbed at an auction today.
The Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) lost 0.8 percent at 10:45 a.m. in London as UniCredit SpA, Italy’s biggest bank, tumbled for a second day. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures slid 0.8 percent. French 10-year bond yields were little changed after a government debt sale. The euro weakened 0.8 percent to $1.2845. Hungary’s forint sank 0.4 percent to 321.61 versus the euro.
Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said yesterday deeper cuts in incomes and an agreement on international aid are the only way for the country to avert economic collapse and a “disorderly default.” France sold 10-year bonds at an average yield of 3.29 percent, up from 3.18 percent in December, and the yield on Hungary’s one-year bills climbed to the highest level since 2009. The U.S. service industry probably grew last month and jobless claims fell last week, economists said before reports today.
