-----------------------(07:29 / 2029 GMT)-----------------------
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 4,628.23 +0.00 NZSX 50 3,289.75
DJIA 11,132.56 -14.01 Nikkei 9,426.71 +50.23
NASDAQ 2,479.39 +19.72 FTSE 5,741.37 -16.49
S&P 500 1,183.08 +2.82 Hang Seng 23,649.48 -131.94
SPI 200 Fut 4,645.00 -4.00 CRB Index 297.23 +1.68
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 5.165 +0.005 US 10 YR Bond 2.561 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.125 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.934 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9857 0.9821 NZD US$ 0.7495 0.7480
EUR US$ 1.3954 1.3929 Yen US$ 81.34 81.07
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1322.50 Silver (Lon) 23.050
Gold (NY) 1327.20 Light Crude 81.87
Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks capped a third straight week of gains on Friday as encouraging earnings helped the market sustain upward momentum, led by Baidu Inc, the latest tech company to beat estimates.
The market has defied expectations for a pullback following a strong rally prior to the earnings season. Some investors were expecting the results to provide an excuse for broad profit-taking.
Volume was very light after nearly two weeks of more active trading. Just 5.76 billion shares were traded on the NYSE, Amex and Nasdaq. The daily average this year has been around 8.8 billion shares.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
LONDON - Weakness in heavyweight miners pulled Britain's leading shares lower on Friday, with trading choppy and volumes light, as investors awaited news from a Group of 20 nations meeting in South Korea.
At the close, the FTSE 100 was 16.49 points, or 0.3 percent, lower at 5,741.37, retreating after hitting a six-month closing high in the previous session.
Miners were among the worst blue chip performers on worries over whether financial leaders at the G20 meeting will agree on countering currency imbalances, which have been lifting the dollar and depressing metal prices.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5 percent on Friday in a rebound after two days of losses, but investors were wary of pushing the market higher before seeing the outcome of a Group of
20 meeting and with the yen hovering near a 15
year high on the dollar.
But with the earnings season heading into full swing in Japan, investors snapped up shares of companies that had upbeat earnings prospects, such as Hitachi Ltd, helping provide support to the overall market.
G20 finance officials started their formal meetings on Friday with nations from the developing world and Japan dismissing U.S. proposals to set limits on current account balances in an effort to defuse tensions over currencies.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are seen drifting lower on Monday as the lack of a clear lead from overseas markets, continued worries over China's growth after a rate rise, and uncertainty over Australia's mining tax could keep investors sidelined.
Stock index futures eased 0.1 percent to 4,645.0, a 3.3 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark lost 0.6 percent on Friday.
Bourse operator ASX is likely to be in focus after a source said Singapore Exchange is likely to offer as much as A$8.4 billion ($8.3 billion) for its Australian rival.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The euro was slightly higher against the dollar on Thursday in choppy trade as investors wrestled with uncertainty over the size and shape of expected U.S. monetary easing.
With unemployment hovering around 9.5 percent, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to pump more money into the economy, likely through direct purchases of Treasury debt.
The euro rose as high as $1.4050 overnight but retreated in the New York session, with traders citing selling by Middle East accounts. It was lately up 0.1 percent to $1.3973.
Against the yen, the dollar continued to hover near a 15-year low and was last trading flat at 81.16.
Sterling fell 0.5 percent to $1.5753 as weak retail sales data stoked speculation that the Bank of England could engage in more monetary easing.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - The dollar was on track on Friday to snap a five-week losing streak against major currencies on uncertainty ahead of the outcome of a meeting of global finance ministers and as the euro repeatedly ran into resistance above $1.40.
Extreme bets against the greenback also prompted investors to moderate their dollar selling. The dollar has lost some 7 percent against a basket of major currencies during a five-week swoon. It was up 0.6 percent this week, on pace for its first weekly gain since mid-September.
Currency speculators further reduced bets against the U.S. dollar in the week ended Tuesday, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed, with the value of net short U.S. dollar positions down to $25.8 billion from $29 billion. See
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold steadied on Friday after its first weekly decline in nearly 3 months, with bullion investors keeping an eye on any statements from the G20 meeting.
Any currency reaction to the G20 meeting in South Korea this weekend could provide fresh impetus to the gold market.
Analysts, however, said it is unlikely for members to reach a deal on a U.S.-led initiative for a commitment from emerging countries to allow their currencies to rise.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper ended up on Friday, but snapped a streak of five consecutive weekly gains, as momentum stalled as the dollar steadied and investors sided with caution ahead of the Group of 20 meeting in South Korea this weekend.
Copper for December delivery on the COMEX metals division of the New York Mercantile Exchange ended up 1.55 cents at $3.7970 per lb, after dealing between $3.7515 and $3.8155.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose 1.4 percent on Friday on positive German business sentiment data, French strikes and a storm threat as the dollar index seesawed and G20 finance ministers met to consider currency policy.
Sources said investors were cautious with a Group of 20 meeting underway in South Korea that looked unlikely to reach a deal on a U.S.-led initiative for a commitment from emerging countries to allow their currencies to rise.
U.S. crude for December delivery rose $1.13, or 1.4 percent, to $81.69 per barrel, as front-month crude eked out a 44 cent gain for the week.
For a full report, double click on
- - - - ((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234)) Keywords: MORNINGCALL/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 4,628.23 +0.00 NZSX 50 3,289.75
DJIA 11,132.56 -14.01 Nikkei 9,426.71 +50.23
NASDAQ 2,479.39 +19.72 FTSE 5,741.37 -16.49
S&P 500 1,183.08 +2.82 Hang Seng 23,649.48 -131.94
SPI 200 Fut 4,645.00 -4.00 CRB Index 297.23 +1.68
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 5.165 +0.005 US 10 YR Bond 2.561 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.125 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.934 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9857 0.9821 NZD US$ 0.7495 0.7480
EUR US$ 1.3954 1.3929 Yen US$ 81.34 81.07
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1322.50 Silver (Lon) 23.050
Gold (NY) 1327.20 Light Crude 81.87
Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks capped a third straight week of gains on Friday as encouraging earnings helped the market sustain upward momentum, led by Baidu Inc, the latest tech company to beat estimates.
The market has defied expectations for a pullback following a strong rally prior to the earnings season. Some investors were expecting the results to provide an excuse for broad profit-taking.
Volume was very light after nearly two weeks of more active trading. Just 5.76 billion shares were traded on the NYSE, Amex and Nasdaq. The daily average this year has been around 8.8 billion shares.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
LONDON - Weakness in heavyweight miners pulled Britain's leading shares lower on Friday, with trading choppy and volumes light, as investors awaited news from a Group of 20 nations meeting in South Korea.
At the close, the FTSE 100 was 16.49 points, or 0.3 percent, lower at 5,741.37, retreating after hitting a six-month closing high in the previous session.
Miners were among the worst blue chip performers on worries over whether financial leaders at the G20 meeting will agree on countering currency imbalances, which have been lifting the dollar and depressing metal prices.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5 percent on Friday in a rebound after two days of losses, but investors were wary of pushing the market higher before seeing the outcome of a Group of
20 meeting and with the yen hovering near a 15
year high on the dollar.
But with the earnings season heading into full swing in Japan, investors snapped up shares of companies that had upbeat earnings prospects, such as Hitachi Ltd, helping provide support to the overall market.
G20 finance officials started their formal meetings on Friday with nations from the developing world and Japan dismissing U.S. proposals to set limits on current account balances in an effort to defuse tensions over currencies.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are seen drifting lower on Monday as the lack of a clear lead from overseas markets, continued worries over China's growth after a rate rise, and uncertainty over Australia's mining tax could keep investors sidelined.
Stock index futures eased 0.1 percent to 4,645.0, a 3.3 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark lost 0.6 percent on Friday.
Bourse operator ASX is likely to be in focus after a source said Singapore Exchange is likely to offer as much as A$8.4 billion ($8.3 billion) for its Australian rival.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The euro was slightly higher against the dollar on Thursday in choppy trade as investors wrestled with uncertainty over the size and shape of expected U.S. monetary easing.
With unemployment hovering around 9.5 percent, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to pump more money into the economy, likely through direct purchases of Treasury debt.
The euro rose as high as $1.4050 overnight but retreated in the New York session, with traders citing selling by Middle East accounts. It was lately up 0.1 percent to $1.3973.
Against the yen, the dollar continued to hover near a 15-year low and was last trading flat at 81.16.
Sterling fell 0.5 percent to $1.5753 as weak retail sales data stoked speculation that the Bank of England could engage in more monetary easing.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - The dollar was on track on Friday to snap a five-week losing streak against major currencies on uncertainty ahead of the outcome of a meeting of global finance ministers and as the euro repeatedly ran into resistance above $1.40.
Extreme bets against the greenback also prompted investors to moderate their dollar selling. The dollar has lost some 7 percent against a basket of major currencies during a five-week swoon. It was up 0.6 percent this week, on pace for its first weekly gain since mid-September.
Currency speculators further reduced bets against the U.S. dollar in the week ended Tuesday, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed, with the value of net short U.S. dollar positions down to $25.8 billion from $29 billion. See
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold steadied on Friday after its first weekly decline in nearly 3 months, with bullion investors keeping an eye on any statements from the G20 meeting.
Any currency reaction to the G20 meeting in South Korea this weekend could provide fresh impetus to the gold market.
Analysts, however, said it is unlikely for members to reach a deal on a U.S.-led initiative for a commitment from emerging countries to allow their currencies to rise.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper ended up on Friday, but snapped a streak of five consecutive weekly gains, as momentum stalled as the dollar steadied and investors sided with caution ahead of the Group of 20 meeting in South Korea this weekend.
Copper for December delivery on the COMEX metals division of the New York Mercantile Exchange ended up 1.55 cents at $3.7970 per lb, after dealing between $3.7515 and $3.8155.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose 1.4 percent on Friday on positive German business sentiment data, French strikes and a storm threat as the dollar index seesawed and G20 finance ministers met to consider currency policy.
Sources said investors were cautious with a Group of 20 meeting underway in South Korea that looked unlikely to reach a deal on a U.S.-led initiative for a commitment from emerging countries to allow their currencies to rise.
U.S. crude for December delivery rose $1.13, or 1.4 percent, to $81.69 per barrel, as front-month crude eked out a 44 cent gain for the week.
For a full report, double click on
- - - - ((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234)) Keywords: MORNINGCALL/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
© 2010 AFX News