STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Friday, 20 January 2012

[Demeter]

16. World Bank Cuts Global Growth Forecast as Euro Region Contracts

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-18/world-bank-cuts-global-growth-outlook-as-europe-threatens-emerging-markets.html

The World Bank cut its global growth forecast by the most in three years, saying that a recession in the euro region threatens to exacerbate a slowdown in emerging markets such as India and Mexico.

The world economy will grow 2.5 percent this year, down from a June estimate of 3.6 percent, the Washington-based institution said. The euro area may contract 0.3 percent, compared with a previous estimate of a 1.8 percent gain. The U.S. growth outlook was cut to 2.2 percent from 2.9 percent.

“Even achieving these much weaker outturns is very uncertain,” the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects report released today in Asia and yesterday in the U.S. “The downturn in Europe and weaker growth in developing countries raises the risk that the two developments reinforce one another, resulting in an even weaker outcome.”

China, the world’s second-biggest economy, reported today that foreign direct investment declined in December by the most since July 2009, underscoring the World Bank’s warning that developing economies should “prepare for the worst.” Home prices fell in 52 of 70 cities in December from November, statistics bureau data showed.

Turmoil in European still has the potential to trigger a global financial crisis reminiscent of 2008, according to the World Bank.