Asian Stock Slide Eases on Bets Intervention May Curtail Losses

The global equity market rout that has erased about $7.8 trillion from stocks worldwide over the past two weeks eased today in Asian trading amid speculation the U.S. will announce measures to support the market and as state-run funds in South Korea and Taiwan bought shares.

The declines drove benchmark indexes in the region’s six biggest markets toward retreats of 20 percent from recent highs after Standard & Poor’s cut the U.S. credit rating. Futures on the S&P 500 Index swung between gains and losses today after the gauge fell the most since December 2008 yesterday. Britain’s FTSE 100 Index slumped as U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a vacation to deal with rioting in London. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 23 percent from a November high after China reported its inflation rate accelerated.