Exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the broader markets are trending lower in early trading as investors doubted that the bailout of Ireland will put an end to the European debt crisis. Even Cyber Monday isn’t enough to push the markets into positive territory.
- Reuters reports that the concern is Ireland won’t mark the end of the eurozone debt dilemma and with the economies of Portugal and Spain looking less than robust, investors are worried that we there will be talk about potential bailouts once again in the not-too-distant future. The Ireland bailout agreement was announced at an European Union finance ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Keep an eye on the ProShares Ultra Short MSCI Europe ETF (NYSEArca: EPV) ride the bearish Euro-trend – it’s up almost 4% in early trading.
- Rex Crum of MarketWatch reports that the kickoff of holiday shopping over the Black Friday weekend is also expected to be a focus for U.S. investors, returning from last week’s Thanksgiving-shortened trading schedule. Stocks of online retailers may also be active Monday, which is known as Cyber Monday because many consumers shop online when they return to the office after the holiday. Watch the Retail HOLDRs (NYSEArca: RTH) today, and throughout the holiday season – it could benefit.
- In Asia, the Nikkei index reached a five-month closing high on an upbeat outlook for exporters, while South Korean stocks were under pressure as concerns over South Korea and North Korean tensions continued- reported by Lisa Twaronite at MarketWatch.
Gregory A. Clay contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.