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-----------------------(07:10 / 1810 GMT)----------------------
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,404.82 -6.62 NZSX 50 4,990.04 +25.70
DJIA 16,321.71 +49.06 Nikkei 14,841.07 -82.04
NASDAQ 4,308.12 -10.81 FTSE 6,809.70 -0.57
S&P 500 1,859.45 +5.16 Hang Seng 22,836.96 +8.78
SPI 200 Fut 5,417.00 +21.00 TRJCRB Index 302.43 +0.84
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 4.040 +0.017 US 10 YR Bond 2.653 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.580 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.586 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8925 0.8961 NZD US$ 0.8389 0.8399
EUR US$ 1.3802 1.3703 Yen US$ 101.79 101.81
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1326.50 Silver (Lon) 21.270
Gold (NY) 1327.22 Light Crude 102.59
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - The S&P 500 ended at another record close on
Friday but well off the day's highs as worries about tensions in
Ukraine caused investors to take profits ahead of the weekend.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 49.06 points or
0.3 percent, to 16,321.71, while the S&P 500 gained 5.16
points or 0.28 percent, to 1,859.45, a record close. The S&P 500
hit an intraday record of 1,867.92.
The Nasdaq Composite dropped 10.814 points or 0.25
percent, to 4,308.119.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top share index held steady on Friday but
still posted its best month in seven, thanks to a three-week
rally that raised it within touching distance of its all-time
high.
On the day, the FTSE 100 closed down 0.57 points, or
0.01 percent, at 6,809.70.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average dropped for a third day
on Friday as investors remained cautious amid tensions in
Ukraine, while a stronger yen weighed on risk appetite and
dragged down exporters.
The Nikkei ended 0.6 percent lower at 14,841.07 in
choppy trade after falling as low as 14,735.52. It fell 0.2
percent for the week and dropped 0.5 percent for the month.
The broader Topix index slipped 0.5 percent to
1,211.66.
For a full report, double click on .T
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar fell to a two-month low against the
euro on Friday, posting its worst monthly performance since
April after data showed steady euro zone inflation and a
downward revision to fourth-quarter U.S. economic growth.
The euro hit a session high of $1.3824 against the
dollar, marking its highest level since late December. It last
traded up 0.7 percent at $1.3807. The currency posted its best
month against the dollar since April, notching gains of 2.4
percent.
The dollar index , which tracks the U.S. currency's
performance against a basket of major currencies, was last down
0.7 percent at 79.763.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury debt prices pared most of their
losses on month-end buying on Friday, as investors balanced
their portfolios, traders said.
Ten-year notes were down 5/32 in price, sending
yields up to 2.660 percent, from Thursday's close of 2.642.
Thirty-year bonds were down 2/32, pulling yields up
to 3.598 percent from Thursday's close of 3.596 percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold fell on Friday as U.S. equities climbed, but
the yellow metal still posted its biggest monthly gain since
July as persistent concerns about a slowdown in the U.S. economy
boosted bullion's safe-haven status.
Spot gold was down 0.5 percent at $1,324.26 an ounce
by 2:54 p.m. EST (1954 GMT), about $20 below a four-month high
of $1,345.35 struck on Wednesday.
U.S. COMEX gold futures for April delivery settled
down $10.20 at $1,321.60 an ounce, with volume about 10 percent
below its 30-day average, preliminary Reuters data showed.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper dipped on Friday to close the month little
changed on lingering worries over a slowdown in China though
soothing comments by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen
limited losses.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange did
not trade at the close but was bid down 0.28 percent at $7,005 a
tonne. It fell to its lowest in nearly three months at $6,993.50
on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - U.S. oil on Friday had its eighth straight week
of gains on market talk of fewer oil rail shipments from the
booming Bakken shale in North Dakota.
Nonetheless, U.S. crude oil spiked by as much as 60
cents by 10:35 a.m. EST, but pared gains to settle 19 cents
higher at $102.59 a barrel. U.S. oil ended the week less than 1
percent higher.
Brent crude rose 11 cents to $109.07 a barrel and
settled less than 1 percent lower on the week.
For a full report, double click on O/R
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((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 802
7980))
Keywords: MORNINGCALL/