Italy, France, Belgium Ban Short Selling Amid Coronavirus

  • Three-month ban in Italy from March 18 applies to all stocks
  • France, Belgium bans are each set to last for one month
Photographer: Alberto Bernasconi/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Italy’s market regulator banned short selling for three months as it seeks to curb volatility amid a sell-off caused by the coronavirus pandemic. France and Belgium imposed similar prohibitions for a month each.

“The measures have become necessary in light of the strong turbulence triggered in recent days by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Rome-based Consob said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday. The goal is to “restore the market’s integrity.”