Spain bans short-selling of shares as markets fall

Spain has banned short-selling of shares to try to limit price moves after markets fell sharply on fears the country may need a full bailout.

Spain's market regulator blocked the practice for three months to try to restore order after sharp falls in bonds and shares.

"Short-selling" is a way that traders can make money by betting on falling share prices.

Italy has also banned short-selling of financial stocks for one week.

'Extreme volatility'

Short-selling is a technique used by investors who think the price of an asset, such as shares, will fall.

They borrow the asset from another investor and then sell it in the relevant market. The aim is to buy back the asset at a lower price and return it to its owner, making a profit along the way.

In a statement, Spain's CNMV regulator said it was imposing the ban in order to maintain market order: "The situation of extreme volatility across the European markets could interfere with their smooth functioning and the normal course of their activities."

It is not the first time that such a curb has been used by regulators. Almost a year ago, France and Belgium joined Spain and Italy in a ban on short-selling financial stocks to try to stabilise bank shares which had fallen sharply.

Markets have had a turbulent few days on fears that Spain's indebted regional governments will push the country towards a full bailout.

On Friday, Valencia, one of the country's 17 regions, asked the central government for a financial lifeline, and on Sunday, the Murcia region said it was considering following suit.

Shares in Europe fell when trading got underway on Monday, with Spain's main share index, the Ibex, down 5% at one point. It recovered slightly to close down 1% but Germany's Dax ended the day down 3%.

The US share markets opened with a downward jolt and the euro hit a new two-year low against the dollar.

'No help'

Spain's economy minister denied the country needed more help.

Luis de Guindos said: "We have made important economic reforms and we just reached an agreement with our regional partners over the recapitalisation of the banks, and from there we have done all what we could to establish the bases of a return to a healthy growth for Spain's economy."

Markets remained unsettled. The yield on Spain's 10-year bonds reached a new euro-era high of 7.56% before falling back to 7.39% in late afternoon trading.

The bond yield indicates the interest rate the government would have to pay to borrow new money, and acts as a measure of investor confidence in Spain's creditworthiness.

Spain has already asked for and been granted a 100bn-euros bailout for its banks, so far avoiding asking for the same sort of national bailout that was needed by Greece, the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.

However, on Friday the Valencia region said it would be the first region to seek financial help from an 18bn-euro fund set up to help the country's regions.

On Sunday, Murcia's government said: "Regarding the liquidity fund provided by the state, the regional government has repeatedly stated that it is studying whether to apply for it."

There is speculation that other regions are also considering seeking assistance, creating further pressure on central government finances.

There was more bad news for Spain on Monday when the Bank of Spain said the country's economy contracted by 0.4% in the three months to the end of June, having shrunk by 0.3% in the previous quarter.

Eurozone jitters also spread to Italy, which is also struggling with high debts. The main Italian share index closed down 2.7% with banks being the worst hit. UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo were among six Italian banks suspended from trading after their share prices fell sharply.

On the currency markets, the euro fell to a two-year low against the US dollar, at $1.2082 at one point on Monday and an 11-year low against the Japanese yen, 94.37 yen, its lowest level since November 2000, before recovering slightly.

The price of oil has also fallen by nearly 3%, a sign that markets think there will be waning demand for oil as a result of worsening economic prospects.

Greece review

Focus is also returning to Greece's woes. On Tuesday, officials from the so-called "troika" - the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank - will arrive in Greece to assess the progress made on reforms that were agreed as part of the country's latest bailout.

Reports over the weekend suggested that the IMF would refuse calls for further aid, if, as expected, the country fails to meet targets for cutting spending and raising taxes.

In response, the IMF said it was "supporting Greece in overcoming its economic difficulties" and would work with the country to get it "back on track".

There are also questions over how the country will make a 3.2bn-euro bond payment due in August.

A European Commission spokesman said on Monday that it was unlikely that the next tranche of eurozone aid for Greece would be paid before September.

"The decision on the next disbursement will only be taken once the ongoing review is completed," the spokesman said.

"Over the last few months, significant delays in programme implementation have occurred due to the double parliamentary elections in the spring.

"The Commission is confident that the decision on the next disbursement will be taken in the near future, although it is unlikely to happen before September," he said.