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本帖最后由 shoujie 于 2012-7-23 12:57 PM 编辑
MILAN (AP) -- Italy's market watchdog on Monday imposed a week-long ban on the short-selling of financial stocks as the Milan index plunged amid fears that if Spain needs a bailout, Italy could be next.
The main stock index, the FTSE-MIB, closed 2.8 percent lower after being down by more than 5 percent in the morning.
European markets have been battered by fears that Spain — which has already sought a bailout for its banks — could need a sovereign bailout as its borrowing rates remain prohibitively high.
A bailout for Spain would stretch Europe's financial resources and put all eyes on Italy, which has the eurozone's third-largest economy and very high public debt. The continent's bailout fund would have no more money to help Italy.
In a short sale, investors sell stock that they do not own, betting that they can buy it back at a lower price. Short-selling of shares has been blamed for driving down markets during the financial crisis and several European regulators have in the past imposed temporary bans on the practice. Italy in February let expire a ban that had been imposed the previous summer.
Premier Mario Monti said the situation for the eurozone was "difficult."

Italian Prime minister Mario Monti looks on during a press conference in Rome, |
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