Business news for Mon, 17 Dec 2007 & with word fears. 26 news.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks tumbled on Monday on concerns that a persistent housing slump, combined with surging prices, posed the threat of 1970s-style stagflation.

US stocks tumbled today on worries the housing slump was dragging on the economy at the same time inflation was posing a growing menace.

ASIAN stocks fell the most in four months, led by Samsung Electronics Co and HSBC Holdings Plc, on concern accelerating inflation will limit interest-rate cuts, threatening global growth. Samsung declined the most in three weeks. HSBC and Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd paced losses in Hong Kong, where interest rates track those set by the Federal Reserve, after United States consumer prices rose the most since 2005. Centro Properties Group plummeted 76 percent in Sydney after the owner of US shopping malls said it was struggling to refinance debt. "Sentiment in the region is getting worse," said David Ng, who helps manage US$954 million at Hwang-DBS Asset Management Sdn in Kuala Lumpur. "First we had slowing US growth; now add on inflation fears. That makes for a bad combination." The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 2.9 percent to 152.28 as of 6:49pm in Tokyo, its sharpest decline since August 17, Bloomberg News said. The benchmark is set for its lowest annual gain

AFP - Oil prices fell on Monday as market participants fretted over the outlook for the US economy amid fears a potential economic slowdown could dampen oil demand.

If commodity inflation starts to cause broader price rises, central banks will not be able to, and should not be expected to, slash rates to stave off recession

Bank of England policymakers voted unanimously in favour of this month's interest rate cut amid growing fears of a sharp slowdown in the economy

Fears of a spending slowdown in the run-up to Christmas were confirmed today after a CBI study said sales grew at their weakest level for over a year

AFP - Oil prices will remain at high levels into next year owing to tight supplies and despite fears that a weak US economy may dent crude demand, leading energy consultants said here Monday.

US wheat futures break through $10 a bushel for the first time fanning fears about food price inflation.

Stocks opened lower Monday, continuing a selloff spurred by Friday's higher inflation reading.

A rocky stock market and fears of an economic slowdown have investors wondering what to do. Here's help.

Stocks opened lower Monday, continuing a selloff spurred by Friday's higher inflation reading.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stock futures on Monday pointed to a lower start on Wall Street as Moody's Investors Services warned it could lower bond insurer credit ratings because of subprime losses and Alan Greenspan warned of a possible U.S. recession.

European stock markets fell sharply this morning, hit by fears that strong US inflation figures on Friday may prevent the Federal Reserve from cutting US interest rates.

Stock futures pointed to a lower open Monday, pressured by fears of an economic slowdown. Nasdaq futures dropped 9 points vs. fair value, S&P...

AFP - Oil prices fell as the market tracked fresh concerns about the US economy, with fears that a slowdown in the United States could dampen demand for crude, traders said Monday.

Suggesting that last week's killing of a senior army general has not convinced Lebanon's rival politicians to end the impasse, parliament again postponed a vote on a new president despite international appeals to end the standoff and ignoring increasing fears over the country's stability

Easing fears the Economic Grinch will steal Christmas, the CNBC Holiday Central Survey finds that Americans appear ready to up their holiday spending a healthy 6% over last year to $782. But downbeat views on housing and the economy are sapping some of the holiday cheer.

Oil prices have fallen as the market tracked fresh concerns about the US economy, with fears that a slowdown in the US could dampen demand for crude.

The days of making a quick buck as a buy-to-let landlord could be numbered, as figures released by Hamptons International today revealed that the number of buy-to-let mortgages taken out plunged nearly 26pc last month.