Markets

US stocks fall on debt-ceiling uncertainty

NEW YORK : US stocks fell Tuesday as the deadline for raising the government's debt ceiling stood just one week away,
Published Updated

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 89.54 points (0.71 percent) to 12,503.26 in closing trade.

The broader S&P 500 dropped 5.31 points (0.40 percent) to 1,332.12 while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 2.84 points (0.10 percent) to 2,839.96.

Republicans and Democrats remained deadlocked over the debt-ceiling issue on Tuesday amid deep disagreements over tax increases and spending cuts.

The White House and the US Treasury say Congress must raise the government's $14.29 trillion debt limit by August 2 to prevent a default, which would have devastating repercussions on the global economy.

 

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011