Global stocks choppy after more misery for Spain

World stock markets were mixed in choppy trade Thursday as Spain's borrowing costs shattered euro-era records after Moody's slashed the country's credit rating, heaping more pressure on the embattled eurozone. European stocks moved lower following losses in Asia, while Wall Street opened mixed. The euro picked up slightly against the dollar after disappointing US jobs figures. Spain's borrowing costs reached new dangerous highs near 7.0 percent as a bailout loan of up to 100 billion euros (125 billion) to salvage the nation's stricken banks fell flat after a brief initial positive welcome. "The rout in Spanish bonds continues relentlessly, as Madrid's borrowing costs move ever higher and ever closer to the dangerous seven percent level," said Chris Beauchamp, a market analyst at trading group IG Index. In afternoon trade, London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies fell 0.82 percent to 5,438.66 points, Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 0.96 percent to 6,093.22 points and in Paris the CAC 40 lost 0.30 percent to 3,020.84 points. Despite the trouble on the bonds markets Madrid's IBEX 35 stock index gained 0.27 percent, while Milan's FTSE Mib slid 0.20 as Italy had to pay investors higher rates of return in a new bond issue. Meanwhile Greek shares soared more than 9.0 percent on speculation that voters will elect a coalition Sunday that will adhere to the country's bailout deal and keep it in the euro. In foreign exchange deals, the euro edged edged up to $1.2579 from $1.2556 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar fell to 79.26 yen from 79.46 yen. The interest rate on Spanish 10-year government bonds soared to just under 7.0 percent to their highest since the birth of the single currency and were up sharply from 6.721 percent Wednesday. Neil MacKinnon, an economist at financial group VTB Capital, said that a level of 7.0 percent was "considered by the markets to be a tipping point which eventually increases the prospect of a government bailout." Italy also had to pay investors much higher rates of return Thursday, reflecting increasing concerns over the eurozone debt crisis, when it raised medium- and longer-term financing. Such high rates are regarded by many analysts as impossible for Spain to afford to finance its activities over the longer term, raising the risk of a bigger bailout, as was the case for Greece, Ireland and Portugal. "With crucial elections in Greece being less than three days away and periphery yields having spiked substantially to the upside since Spain agreed to outside help for their troubled banking sector last weekend, many would consider the current environment anything than ideal to stage bond auctions," said ETX Capital trader Markus Huber. Moody Investors Service slashed Spain's sovereign debt rating by three notches late Wednesday to Baa3 and left it on review for a possible further downgrade. Since many institutional investors are barred from buying bonds that are rated as junk, or non-investment grade, the prospect of a further downgrade sent a further chill through the market. The borrowing "will materially worsen the government's debt position," Moody's said, projecting the country's public debt ratio to hit 90 percent of gross domestic product output this year and to continue rising through 2015. Last week, Fitch also slashed Spain's rating by three notches but Standard and Poor's, while noting Madrid's difficulties, took no action, having cut its Spanish ratings by two notches in April. In Asian trade, stock markets closed mostly down as dealers followed losses on Wall Street while selling pressure was also stoked by fears over Spain and nervousness ahead of the Greek polls at the weekend, traders said. Tokyo dropped 0.22 percent, Sydney shed 0.53 percent and Hong Kong lost 1.15 percent. The market focus was also on Sunday's election in Greece with dealers fearing a victory for anti-austerity parties that could lead to Athens tearing up a bailout deal and a likely exit from the eurozone. Yet investors in Athens were betting the other way -- that the polls will produce a government able to implement the controversial EU-IMF bailout, sending the market, led by bank shares, soaring 9.33 percent. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said that the eurozone crisis would dominate next week's G20 summit but warned world leaders that her powers to act were limited. US stocks opened mixed Thursday despite disappointing government economic data on jobs and inflation. About five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.14 percent to 12,514.16 points. The S&P 500-stock index advanced 0.11 percent to 1,316.33 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.13 percent to 2,814.88. Weekly initial jobless claims rose more than expected and consumer prices fell in May for the first time in two years, driven by falling gasoline prices, but core inflation rose 0.2 percent for the third straight month.