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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,294.00 -61.59 NZSX 50 5,160.39 +5.68
DJIA 16,336.03 +113.86 Nikkei 14,224.23 -238.29
NASDAQ 4,324.04 +16.44 FTSE 6,542.44 -30.69
S&P 500 1,872.49 +11.72 Hang Seng 21,182.16 -386.53
SPI 200 Fut 5,315.00 +18.00 TRJCRB Index 299.45 -3.46
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 4.150 +0.013 US 10 YR Bond 2.781 +0.009
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.650 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.657 -0.013
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9038 0.9026 NZD US$ 0.8534 0.8529
EUR US$ 1.3773 1.3838 Yen US$ 102.52 102.22
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1327.00 Silver (Lon) 20.170
Gold (NY) 1330.84 Light Crude 99.55
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, boosted by a read
on factory activity that was much stronger than expected, which
offset the prospect of an earlier-than-expected rate hike.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 107.66
points, or 0.66 percent, to 16,329.83. The Standard & Poor's 500
Index advanced 10.63 points, or 0.57 percent, to
1,871.40. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 15.10 points,
or 0.35 percent, to 4,322.71.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top equity index fell on Thursday, hit by
a drop in drugs group GlaxoSmithKline and a hint from the
Federal Reserve that U.S. interest rates may rise sooner than
previously expected.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index , which rose 14.4
percent in 2013 and came close to a 13-year high in January,
closed down 30.69 points, or 0.5 percent, at 6,542.44 points.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japanese stocks tumbled to a six-week low on
Thursday after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen raised the
prospect of interest rate hikes starting earlier than previously
thought, sparking a selloff in equities before a three-day
weekend.
The Nikkei share average ended 1.7 percent lower at
14,224.23, the lowest closing level since Feb. 6. For the week,
the index dropped 0.7 percent. Markets in Japan will shut on
Friday for a public holiday.
For a full report, double click on .T
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar powered higher against other major
currencies on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen
surprised world markets by signalling that increases in U.S.
interest rates were not as far away as most had thought.
The dollar index , measuring its strength against a
basket of other major currencies, rose to a three-week high of
80.354. It was last up 0.3 percent at 80.257. The dollar
strengthened past resistance around $1.3810 per euro to
trade 0.4 percent stronger at $1.3775.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries prices were roughly unchanged on
Thursday a day after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen spooked
traders by signaling the U.S. central bank's policy-makers may
start raising interest rates sooner than expected.
The 3-year U.S. Treasury note was last down 2/32
in price to yield 0.90 percent, compared to a yield of 0.88
percent late Wednesday. The yield on the 5-year Treasury note
was last at 1.72 percent, up from 1.70 percent late
Wednesday.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
LONDON - Gold hit three-week lows on Thursday, extending its
biggest one-day fall since late January the day before, after
comments from Federal Reserve head Janet Yellen suggested U.S.
interest rates could rise sooner than expected.
Spot gold extended losses to $1,320.24 an ounce on
Thursday, its lowest since Feb. 28. It was down 0.2 percent at
$1,328.65 an ounce at 1508 GMT. U.S. gold futures for
April delivery were down $12.30 an ounce at $1,329.20.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper prices slid on Thursday, giving up the
previous day's gains, as investors worried about the prospect of
U.S. interest rates increasing earlier than expected and about a
credit squeeze in top consumer China.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange
ended 1.9 percent lower at $6,430 a tonne, reversing a 1.1
percent gain on Wednesday.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - U.S. crude oil futures tumbled over $1 on
Thursday as builds in domestic stockpiles and a strong U.S.
dollar outweighed worries over the possible impact of tougher
U.S. sanctions on Russia.
U.S. crude for April delivery , which will expire at
the settlement on Thursday, fell 72 cents to $99.65 per barrel
by 1649 GMT. The contract fell $1.29 to an intra-session low of
$99.08. U.S. Crude for May delivery CLK4 fell 36 cents to 98.81
per barrel.
Brent rose 53 cents to $106.38 a barrel.
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))
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