European stocks fell while oil prices headed for a sixth session of declines on Thursday after the Bank of Japan refrained from taking further stimulus steps, hours after the Federal Reserve struck a cautious note on its policy outlook.
Sterling hit a 2-month low against the euro underscoring worries that Britain, the world's fifth-largest economy, could quit the EU after June's 23 referendum.
Concerns over Brexit have dominated markets this week and in combination with dimmed expectations on global growth have driven investors towards safe-haven assets such as German bunds and gold and out of oil and stocks.
Brent crude prices, which last week hit their highest this year, have fallen every day after June 8 and are now down 8 percent since.
Germany's 10-year bond yield fell to a new record low as fading expectations for U.S. rate hikes this year provided further fuel to a global bond market rally.
Shares of European banks, the worst performing sector this year, were on the backfoot again.
Shares of UBS and Credit Suisse fell more than a percent after the Swiss National bank warned that both banks will likely each need to raise an extra 10 billion Swiss francs to meet new leverage requirements.
Deutsche Bank shares, down 2.5 percent, hit a record low earlier in the day, according to a news agency report.
-SRS-
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