U.S. stock markets were down on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling bellow the key psychological level of 10,000, amid persisting concerns over euro zone sovereign debt.
Shortly after the U.S. trading session began, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.21% at 9,991.53. The S&P 500 index, meanwhile, slipped 0.13% and the Nasdaq Composite Index was down 0.15%.
The picture was rosier across the Atlantic: France’s CAC 40 was up 0.65%; Germany's DAX rose 0.65%; Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.22%; and the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.73%.
Investors continued to worry on Monday about the threat that Greece's spiraling deficit posed to the financial system, despite an attempt by financial leaders of the Group of Seven on Saturday to downplay the danger.