More European Union members may pull a Greece and ask for a bailout to their piling fiscal deficits. Europe-related exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been trading lower as fearful investors flee from the mounting problems.
Andrew Bosomworth, Executive V.P. at PIMCO Europe, cautions that the eurozone problems will persist and that the ineffective “permanent bailout-mechanism” lacks fiscal unity and may lead to the dissolution of the euro since it is little too late, according to International Business Times.
Bosomworth remarks that ailing eurozone members should re-adopt their original currencies as a way to fix their own financial and debt problems. But Germany probably won’t let the euro break-up because it relies heavily on exports and the current currency exchange. Additionally, current austerity programs are counter-productive to weaker eurzone economies, Bosomworth adds. As a result, bond investors are dumping peripheral E.U. sovereign debt and pushing up yields.
Portugal may be next up to face mounting financial pressure, with Italy and Belgium not far behind, comments Ian Bremmer for Foreign Policy. Outside of the E.U., Hungary and Romania could also face greater scrutiny over their finances. Consequently, spreads are widening between bond yields of core member states and those in peripherals, like Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, as well as non-E.U. states, such as Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
E.U. policymakers are trying to implement a permanent crisis resolution mechanism, fiscal reforms and macroeconomic rebalancing. However, selling these plans to the public seems to be politically tricky. [4 Things to Watch as E.U. Summit Kicks Off.]
While the EU printed more euros to help bankroll bailout packages, the euro currency is only down around 15% for the year, writes Karim Rahemtulla for Investment U. It may simply be the that the euro is only falling at a diminished rate as compared to the weakness of the dollar. Rahemtulla argues that the euro is on a downtrend since Spain and Portugal could very well be the next recipients of a bailout. [E.U. Summit: Where Do Euro ETFs Go From Here?]
For more information on the eurozone, visit our Europe category.
- iShares S&P Europe 350 Index Fund (NYSEArca: IEV)
- iShares MSCI Europe Financial Sector Index Fund (NYSEArca: EUFN)
- WisdomTree Dreyfus Euro (NYSEArca: EU)
- CurrencyShares Euro Trust (NYSEArca: FXE)
Read the disclaimer; Tom Lydon is a board member of Rydex|SGI.
Max Chen contributed to this article.