The wild ride in financial markets, by the numbers (AP)

Global financial markets have been on a wild ride in the last two weeks. Political impasse in Washington has led in the United States close to defaulting on its debt; European leaders scrambled to prevent a debt crisis from spreading in Italy and Spain; and news on the economy of the United States has shown that growth has slowed. Here's how the markets reacted.

U.S. MARKETS:

U.S. Stock indexes entered a correction, which means a decrease of at least 10 percent from a peak recently. Corrections are common during bull markets and do not mean necessarily that stocks are starting a long decline. However, a decline of 20 percent or more generally marks the beginning of a bear market, or a long period of losses on the stock exchange.

• Dow Jones industrial average fell 1,280 points, or 10 percent, from July 21, when it closed at 12.724. 699 points is down this week, the largest weekly point decline since October 2008. The drop week of 5.8 per cent was the worst since March 2009.

• Standard & poor's 500 index, the market's most widely used by professional investors and mutual funds, is 10.8 percent below where it was on 22 July, when its decline began recently. The decline of 7.2% this week was the worst week since November 2008.

• Nasdaq composite index, which includes many technology companies, is down 11.4 percent since July 22. This week, its worst week since November 2008 lost 8.1 per cent.

• Russell 2000 index of small companies in the u.s. is down 15 percent since July 22. Decline of 10.3% this week was the worst since November 2008.

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WORLD MARKETS:

Overseas stock markets also took a beating this week, especially in Europe. Indexes in Italy and Spain have dropped more than 10 percent, as did Germany's DAX and CAC 40-in France. Asian markets didn't rate as pretty bad.

Europe:

• Germany DAX fell 12.9% this week, its worst loss since October 2008.

FTSE 100 • England fell to 9.8 percent, the worst loss since November 2008.

FT-IF MIB of Italy • decreased 13.1 percent, the worst loss since March 2009.

Spain's IBEX 35 fell • 10 percent, its worst loss since May 2010.

Asia:

Japan's Nikkei 225 • fell 5.4 percent, its worst loss since March.

• Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 6.7 percent, the worst loss since March 2009.

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GOVERNMENT SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Investors rushed to buy Senate seeking safer investments. The price of two-year Treasury Note rose so high that its yield, which moves in the opposite direction of its price, fell to a record low. The 10-year Treasury yield serves as the benchmark for many types of loans. When it falls, are often on mortgages rates and other consumer loans.

• The note of the two-year Treasury yield fell 0.26 percent lower on Thursday, a record low before Friday that rises to 0.29 per cent. It was at 0.36% a week earlier.

• The yield on the 10-year note fell Treasury of 2.56% from 2.80 percent a week earlier. On Thursday, it fell to 2.39%, the lowest level since October.

• The yield on 30-year Treasury bond fell to 3.85 percent from 4.12 percent a week earlier.

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GAINERS AND LOSERS ON WALL STREET

All three major U.S. stock indexes lost more than 5% during the week. The steepest losses were by companies whose profits are more dependent on a growing economy. These include oil companies, producers of raw materials and banks.

• Bank of America Corp. fell 15.9% during the week, the largest loss among the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average.

• Alcoa Inc. fell 13.2 percent on concerns that a global economic slowdown will mean weaker demand for aluminum.

• Kraft Foods Inc., was the only Dow stock between 30 to rise during the week, gaining 1.4 percent. It is divided into two companies, with one focusing on snacks and the other on groceries.

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RAW MATERIALS:

Concerns about the weakening of the economies of the world, has led investors to sell oil and natural gas. I am concerned about the lower energy demand. But the nervousness also led to the gold price, which is considered a safer investment.

• Crude oil fell by 8.8% during the week.

• Natural Gas fell 7.7 percent.

• Gold ended the week at $ 651.80 per ounce. Earlier in the week, rose as high as $1,668. Adjusted for inflation, is still below its peak of 1980.

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G7 says committed to ensuring liquidity, support markets (Reuters)

Paris the Group of seven Nations agree to take coordinated action to secure liquidity and supporting the functioning of financial markets, financial stability and economic growth, G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, said in a statement.

"These actions, along with continued efforts of fiscal discipline will enable long-term sustainability of Public Finances," said the statement issued early on Monday.

"No change in the fundamentals of financial guarantees the recent tensions faced by Spain and Italy. We welcome additional policy measures announced by Italy and Spain to strengthen fiscal discipline and support the upswing in economic activity and job creation, "he added.

Senior officials conferred by phone before the opening of the Asian financial markets such as financial crises on both sides of the Atlantic has threatened to escalate.

In separate efforts to prevent panic, the European Central Bank has reported would begin to buy Italian and Spanish debt, while the United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Treasury securities are just as strong as they were before a potentially damaging debt downgrade from Standard Poors & on Friday.

G7 officials said in their statement that would closely consult on action on currency markets and would be appropriate on a foreign currency.

"Excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates have adverse implications for economic and financial stability," they said.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Michael Roddy and Chizu Nomiyama)

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Markets rally if the debt agreement, downgrade dagli occhi (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters)-if the debate in Washington over raising the debt ceiling Us finally ends with a deal on Sunday, the last-minute truce could spark a rally relief when open global markets.

U.S. lawmakers were close to a deal last-gasp 3 billion dollars to raise the debt limit and avoid default is potentially catastrophic. Markets have been protracted discussions during the tumultuous, with Wall Street, ending its worst week in a year on Friday.

"An affair of 2.8 billion looks like the result and the mechanism is in place and, with no default. This is enough to rally the markets, "said David Kotok, chief investment officer of Cumberland advisors in Sarasota Florida.

But the White House stressed that no deal had been reached yet. Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer sounded a note of caution, saying in a tweet on Sunday that "a lot of bad information is floating out there."

Wayne Kaufman, Chief market analyst at John Thomas financial, New York, said that after five days of Wall Street, the stock market was primed for a bounce. But he warned that options traders, they have been a deal will be struck, bets may remain trapped.

"There is a possibility that this could go on for another couple of weeks," he said. "Probably it would be devastating for the markets, but there is a possibility".

Even if an agreement is struck soon, the markets remain nervous, and a prominent pop in action can be short-lasting. This year, Wall Street was quick to move from crisis to crisis. And those seem to be almost infinite supply.

The United States still faces a possible downgrade in its credit rating AAA gold in the near future and that is likely to affect markets if it happens at the end.

"The initial shock of downgrade will rattle the markets," said Peter Cardillo, Chief market Economist at Avalon Partners, New York. "The possibility of a downgrade are certainly now more than a month ago."

Trading activity in recent weeks suggests U.S. equities have been restrained by paralysis in Washington.

Fears that a Government could be hamstrung a deadweight on growth rose on Friday after a report showed that the American economy grew far more slowly than thought in the first half of the year.

A number of major investors have indicated they are in possession of larger cash positions than usual, and yields on some debt of the United States in the short term, maturing in August climbed.

Meanwhile the dollar safe haven in the world during the financial crisis of 2008, hit a record low against the Swiss franc and a trough four months against the Japanese yen on Friday. Both are now seen as a more secure location to store the money of the United States.

The lack of a budget agreement would also ratchet U.S. to exert pressure on the dollar against the yen so much that raises the prospect that Japan might intervene to stop its currency from strengthening.

The dollar is on Friday to its lowest since coordinated actions to weaken the Japanese currency in mid-March. Is now in the distance of its record low of 76,250 yen, which it struck shortly before authorities intervened then.

Short-term money markets were involved, making it more expensive for banks and companies. If that persists, consumers and small businesses can also find more difficult to access credit. Who can get loans will probably pay more for them.

Companies, meanwhile, are hardly likely to ramp up hiring if funding costs are rising. It has become even more of a concern after data showed the US economy grew at a plodding pace 1.3 percent in the second quarter and produced nearly flat growth in the first quarter.

"This is exactly what the market does not need as economic conditions are shaky," Jim Caron, head of global interest rate to Morgan Stanley, said in a research note.

Ironically, he gathered more dated Treasury debt, partly in reaction to weaker than expected, but also reflecting a "flight to safety" as investors move out of the way of default can have consequences that global markets.

(Additional reporting by Angela Moon and David Gaffen; Editing by Chris Sanders and Dale Hudson)

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Commerzbank companies & markets Hires Director of sales FI for the Germany / Austria / Switzerland

Commerzbank businesses and markets (C & M) has hired Benjamin Melzer as head of Financial Institution sales Germany / Austria / Switzerland.

In this role, Melzer will report to Andrew Readinger, an overall responsible Financial Institution sales. It will focus on further deepen and develop the relations with clients of Commerzbank in fixed income and zone currencies throughout the Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Andrew Readinger, Global Head of Financial Institution Sales, commented: "we are convinced that the experience of Benjamin will help us develop our strategic expansion in the central area of the German-speaking countries".

Melzer will be based in Frankfurt and joined the Bank this week of Morgan Stanley, where he held several senior positions over a period of 12 years. More recently, he has been responsible for the Financial Institutions covering the Germany, Austria and Switzerland on global capital markets.

Readinger said: "the hiring of Benjamin Melzer is a natural fit with our strategy to deliver better customer experience class and prospects".

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