European stocks dropped for the first week in three, with the benchmark STOXX Europe 600 Index failing to extend a four-month high, dragged lower by utilities and banks.
E.ON AG and RWE AG fell as brokers downgraded Germany’s largest utilities. Allied Irish Banks PLC and Bank of Ireland PLC slumped amid renewed concern that the lenders need further financial help. Carrefour SA surged 6.9 percent after announcing a US$2 billion store revamp plan. Crucell NV soared 56 percent as Johnson & Johnson announced plans to take full control of the Dutch vaccine maker.
The STOXX Europe 600 Index slid 0.7 percent to 262.86 this past week, trimming this year’s gain to 3.5 percent and the increase from its low for this year in May to 13 percent. The benchmark gauge reached its highest level since April on Monday as regulators agreed new capital rules for banks and economic reports from China and Europe boosted confidence in the recovery.
“Investors are waiting to see if markets can now break out of trading ranges to higher levels,” said Adrian Darley, who helps oversee about US$100 billion as head of European equities at Ignis Investment Services Ltd in London. “At some point, sovereign debt concerns will no doubt rise to the fore again.”
Credit-default swaps on Ireland rose 38 basis points to a record 428.3 on Sept. 17, according to data provider CMA.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
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