猪流感影响全球金融市场

由于害怕猪流感疫情蔓延，星期一各大股市全线下挫，这给人们对于经济的乐观预期带来不良影响。究竟这次猪流感会不会将已有复苏迹象的世界经济又重新拖入深渊呢？华尔街的分析员们认为，现在还不能确定猪流感是否会在全球范围内爆发。

Stock markets worldwide fell on Monday on concerns the spread of a new strain of flu could dampen optimism about the economy. For more details, here's Reuters' correspondent reporting from New York.

Wall Street spent the day wondering if a possible global flu outbreak would reverse any of the positive signs coming from the economy. Traders, however, cautioned against a market over-reaction, saying it is still too early to tell if the swine flu will actually escalate into a pandemic.

Doreen Mogavero, CEO of Mogavero Lee and Company, says, "I think people are being cautious so that it does not become one. At this moment I don't think there are levels that are anywhere near pandemonium - so we need to be sure about that and be calm, being calm is a much better way to approach this."

Stocks bounced between losses and gains as drug stocks lent some support, but the market gave-up ground in the end.

Certain U.S. pork products were banned in several countries, including China, and Russia even banned specific beef imports from the U.S. The U.S. response: the bans were not based on science and could seriously disrupt trade. America exports nearly 20 percent of its pork. Despite the name, swine flu is not related to hogs nor is it transmitted by eating pork. Shares of Smithfield Foods, a major pork producer - fell more than 12 percent.

Meanwhile, several countries also announced travel restrictions as new cases show-up around the globe.

In other market reaction: oil prices tumbled along with the airlines on fear less travel will mean less jet fuel demand.

Gold prices fell, but investors looking for a safe place to hide, put a limit on the selling.

And in Europe -- stocks ended mixed, but well above their worst levels of the day.