日本股市再度大跌
Japanese stocks sustained another day of huge losses Wednesday thanks to investor worries about the financial health of European banks ahead of key congressional testimony by the head of the U.S. central bank.
One day after losing a staggering 918 points, or 5.40 percent, the Nikkei index dropped 372 points, or 2.3 percent, to end the day at 15,713.39, its lowest mark since October 2014. The Nikkei is down just over 10 percent this month, placing the index in "bear market" territory.
Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 dropped just over one percent to close at 4,775.70. Indexes in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul remained closed for the Lunar New Year.
Investors are questioning whether some of Europe's biggest banks have sufficient capital reserves on hand to buffer against a slump in their share prices.
The current state of the U.S. economy, as well as the outlook for interest rate increases, growth and unemployment, are on the agenda Wednesday and Thursday when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testifies before key congressional committees.日本股市星期三再度大跌，原因是美國中央銀行行長即將在美國國會進行關鍵作證，投資者擔心歐洲銀行金融狀況不佳。
日經指數星期二猛跌918點，即下跌5.40%。星期三，又再下跌372點，即2.3%，跌到15,713.39點。這是2014年10月以來的最低點。日經指數本月已經下跌10%，進入熊市範圍。
澳大利亞股市標普/ ASX 200指數下跌百分之一多一點，收盤時爲4,775.70。上海、香港、臺北和首爾股市因爲農曆新年而休市。
投資者對歐洲一些最大的銀行是否有足夠的資本儲備應對股價下跌感到懷疑。
美國聯邦儲備委員會主席耶林星期三和星期四將在美國國會幾個重要委員會作證。國會議員們將提出美國目前經濟狀況、增加利率的前景、經濟增長和失業率等問題。
