Markets Sink as Threat of War Rises

Markets Sink as Threat of War Rises (Bloomberg)

A quick glimpse at Bloomberg.com’s summary pages for Asian and European market returns communicates one crystal-clear thought: fear. The escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine has scared the “green” out of Far East markets, creating a sea of red returns. Japan’s Nikkei 225 tops the losers, down 3.30 percent today, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Shanghai’s Shenzhen CSI 300 are off 1.0 percent and 0.82 percent, respectively. The story’s no better in Europe, where the EURO STOXX 50 is down 1.1 percent, while England’s FTSE 100 and Germany’s DAX are both off, but by less than one percent. If you’re an investor who lives by the “blood in the streets” credo, you may want to get ready for a long and steady opportunity to invest.