美国央行美联储对美国这个世界最大经济体做出黯淡的前景展望后，整个亚太和欧洲股市星期四应声大幅下挫。日本日经指数收跌2%，香港恒生指数收盘时暴跌近 5%。首尔、悉尼和上海的股市星期四在收盘时也都下跌至少2%。欧洲各主要股市在午盘交易时的跌幅至少为3%。
美国联邦储备委员会星期三宣布了将购买长期美国国债并抛售短期美国国债的举措，以刺激美国疲弱的经济。但美联储警告说，美国经济继续面临“严重下滑的风险”，包括高失业率和低迷的房屋市场。
Stock markets across Asia and Europe plunged Thursday in reaction to the U.S. central bank's gloomy outlook on the world's largest economy.Japan's Nikkei index closed two percent lower, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong plummeted nearly five percent at the closing bell. Markets in Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai had also posted losses of at least two percent on Thursday.Shares on Europe's key markets are all at least three percent lower in mid-morning trading.
The Federal Reserve announced a measure Wednesday to buy long-term Treasury bonds and sell short-term bonds as a means of stimulating the slumping U.S. economy. But the Reserve warned the economy continued to face "significant downside risks" to the economic outlook, including high unemployment and a depressed housing market.