Shares in mergers advisory specialists were down as well, perhaps because of concerns that a second Obama administration might mean that tougher antitrust scrutiny would remain in place, weakening appetites for deal-making.
Privately, representatives from a number of foreign countries and organizations have raised questions about their longevity in Afghanistan, particularly those in Europe, where economic travails have weakened the appetite for financial commitments in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The statement, a senior United States Treasury official said in a telephone interview, was "a recognition that certain emerging markets that are seeing weakened investor appetite need to look at their policy reform agenda" and help themselves.
Forcing China to raise its currency "won't help this imbalance and can deter the global recovery," he told an audience in Hong Kong last November, arguing that such a move would weaken the appetites of Chinese consumers and would not help the U.S., because Americans don't produce many of the things they buy from China.
In addition, high gasoline prices have also weakened consumer appetites.
The dollar rose, closing at $1.3574 to the euro, breaking its pattern of weakening in the face of a growing appetite for risk.
Consumer appetite for news car is weakening in Europe, amid uncertainty about the economic outlook for 2008, but not all auto manufacturers are losing out.
Housing construction fell in August at the biggest rate in 17 months, the Commerce Department reported today, suggesting that the weakening economy and rising unemployment had cut into Americans' appetite for new-home purchases.
[C4.] Housing Starts Fell in August Housing construction fell 6.9percentt in August, the Commerce Department reported, suggesting the weakening economy and rising unemployment had cut into Americans' appetite for new-home purchases.
