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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,411.45 -25.55 NZSX 50 4,964.34 -8.86
DJIA 16,251.14 +52.73 Nikkei 14,923.11 -47.86
NASDAQ 4,316.42 +24.36 FTSE 6,810.27 +11.12
S&P 500 1,851.59 +6.43 Hang Seng 22,828.18 +390.74
SPI 200 Fut 5,415.00 +19.00 TRJCRB Index 301.88 +0.26
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 4.060 -0.008 US 10 YR Bond 2.649 -0.025
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.580 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.607 -0.028
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8963 0.8930 NZD US$ 0.8382 0.8320
EUR US$ 1.3707 1.3686 Yen US$ 102.14 102.38
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1332.25 Silver (Lon) 21.380
Gold (NY) 1330.70 Light Crude 102.10
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks were little changed on Thursday as
comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen failed to
provide clarity on the impact of a harsh winter on recent
economic weakness, while concerns rose over turmoil in Ukraine.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 6.52 points,
or 0.04 percent, at 16,204.93. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index
was up 0.69 points, or 0.04 percent, at 1,845.85. The
Nasdaq Composite Index was up 6.54 points, or 0.15
percent, at 4,298.61.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top share index edged up on Thursday,
lifted by positive U.S. data and assurances from Fed chair Janet
Yellen, despite a sharp sell-off in Royal Bank of Scotland and
increasing tension over Ukraine.
The FTSE 100 closed up 11.12 points, or 0.2 percent,
at 6,810.27 points.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average fell for a second day on
Thursday, moving further away from a four-week closing hit
earlier this week as heightened tensions in Ukraine soured
sentiment, dragging down index heavyweights like SoftBank.
The Nikkei ended 0.3 percent lower at 14,923.11,
moving away from 15,051.60 hit on Tuesday, which was the highest
closing level since Jan. 29.
The broader Topix index slipped 0.7 percent to
1,217.35.
For a full report, double click on .T
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar edged lower on Thursday, erasing gains
from a day earlier, as market participants looked toward remarks
by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on the economy and
monetary policy in testimony before the Senate Banking
Committee.
The dollar index .DXY, which tracks the U.S. dollar against
a basket of major currencies, was last down 0.03 percent at
80.40 in morning trading. That marked a drop from the previous
day's gains, when it held near a two-week high.
The dollar was down against the euro EUR=, which last traded
up 0.18 percent at 1.3711.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - The geopolitical uncertainty caused investors to
seek the safety of U.S. Treasuries , driving yields
to two-week lows.
The 10-year note was yielding 2.669 percent against
Wednesday's close of 2.666 percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
LONDON - Gold prices edged up on Thursday due to a steady
dollar, but remained well below the previous day's four-month
high as buyers of coins, bars and jewellery in Asian markets
held off in expectation of a further price drop.
Spot gold was up 0.1 percent to $1,331.39 an ounce at
1502 GMT, well off that session's high of $1,345.35 an ounce.
U.S. gold futures for April delivery were up $4.00 an
ounce at $1,332.10.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper slipped to its lowest in nearly three months
on Thursday, weighed down by concerns over demand from top
consumer China while growing political turmoil in Ukraine also
sapped appetite for risky assets such as metals.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange hit
its lowest level since Dec. 4 at $6,993.50 a tonne before
recovering to close down $1 or 0.01 percent at $7,025.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Brent crude oil futures fell on Thursday,
pressured by volatility in Ukraine that curbed risk appetite.
Most equities markets around the world edged lower as traders
remained suspicious of Russia's comments on Thursday that it
will work with the West on resolving the crisis in Ukraine,
while tensions in Crimea near the Russian border worsened. (Full
Story)
Brent crude was down 80 cents at $108.74 a barrel at
11:38 a.m. EST (1638 GMT). It settled almost unchanged
overnight.
U.S. oil fell 47 cents to $102.12 a barrel, after
ending 76 cents higher the previous session.
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/