Europe’s average unemployment has fallen to a four-year low of 9.8% as of 2016. Greece’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 23.5% in January 2017.
Two bailouts got Greece up and running. After trending downward until early 2012, the Athens Stock Exchange Composite Index began to show signs of life.
The subdued economic momentum in Greece has had a direct—and negative—impact on its ability to honor its foreign obligations, specifically its bailout loan.
The Global X FTSE Portugal 20 ETF (PGAL) retreated 3.99% on the news of the bailout. The fund tracks the FTSE Portugal 20 Index and holds a small basket of 20 stocks. So far, PGAL has gathered $35.2 million in assets. The product is heavily concentrated in its top ten holdings that form about three-fourth of the total fund assets.
On July 10, BES—one of the biggest banks in Portugal—stalled its shares and bonds trading because of ESI’s alleged defaulted on a debt payment. As a result, BES saw its shares plunge 17.2% on July 10 while ESI and Portugal’s benchmark stock index, PSI-20, dropped 8.92% and 4.2%, respectively.
The PIIGS nations are Eurozone’s most troubled economies. Considering historical and recent economic developments in these nations, most of them have been in serious financial trouble in regards to sovereign debt. The trouble with the PIIGS nations and the Eurozone economies lies in their monetary union.
