World stocks edge down on geopolitical tensions
Simmering Middle East tensions keep stocks under pressure with world stocks falling 0.2%; European investors await ECB meeting
London — World stocks edged down further on Thursday as anxious investors stayed wary of risky assets, seeking protection against a threatened clash between Western powers and Russia in Syria. The ratcheting up of geopolitical tensions over an alleged chemical attack by Syrian government forces weighed on equities and kept bond yields low, while oil prices eased back slightly, having surged to 2014 highs as a result of the tensions in the Middle East. MSCI’s world equity index fell for the second day, while European shares declined 0.1% in early deals. Aside from the political developments, European investors also awaited a European Central Bank (ECB) meeting later in the day, hoping for greater clarity on the bank’s timing for the unwinding of quantitative easing. Losses were limited by strong oil and gas stocks, boosted by this week’s jump in crude prices. US President Trump declared that missiles “will be coming” in Syria, taunting Russia for supporting Syrian President Bashar al...
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