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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,376.75 +40.13 NZSX 50 5,124.89 -5.81
DJIA 16,314.81 -53.07 Nikkei 14,477.16 +53.97
NASDAQ 4,193.90 -40.37 FTSE 6,605.30 +0.41
S&P 500 1,858.74 -6.88 Hang Seng 21,732.32 +155.43
SPI 200 Fut 5,194.00 +11.00 TRJCRB Index 301.19 +0.36
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 4.090 +0.030 US 10 YR Bond 2.703 -0.032
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.630 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.553 -0.026
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9227 0.9190 NZD US$ 0.8600 0.8596
EUR US$ 1.3796 1.3808 Yen US$ 102.01 102.31
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1304.00 Silver (Lon) 20.030
Gold (NY) 1310.44 Light Crude 100.25
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks edged lower in the afternoon on
Wednesday, led by losses in the materials and technology
sectors.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 59.01
points, or 0.36 percent, at 16,308.87. The Standard & Poor's 500
Index was down 7.01 points, or 0.38 percent, at 1,858.61.
The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 40.74 points, or
0.96 percent, at 4,193.53.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Shares in British bank Lloyds LLOY.L plunged 4.9
percent on Wednesday after the government sold a stake in the
lender at a discount to its stock price, and held back the UK's
blue chip equity index.
The FTSE 100 index , which at one stage rose as much
as 0.6 percent, ended up by just 0.41 points, flat in percentage
terms, at 6,605.30 points.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Wednesday on
strong U.S. consumer confidence data and easing concerns over
the Ukraine crisis, though it failed to break a key technical
resistance level.
The Nikkei tacked on 0.4 percent to 14,477.16,
underperforming many of its regional peers and stalling before
the 200-day moving average of 14,513.21.
The broader Topix gained 0.7 percent to 1,172.07
with 2.44 billion shares changing hands, in line with the
average in the past 20 days. The new JPX-Nikkei Index 400
rose 0.8 percent to 10,611.83.
For a full report, double click on .T
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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set to open lower on
Thursday, following losses in stocks, gold and commodity prices.
Global miner BHP Billiton is expected to
open around 1.6 percent lower after its ADRs skidded in
the United States.
Local share price index futures dropped 0.5 percent
to 5,344, an 32.8-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200
index close on Wednesday. The benchmark edged up 0.8
percent in the last session.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar rose against major currencies on
Wednesday on strong U.S. economic data and conviction that the
U.S. Federal Reserve will cut back its stimulus measures, but
fell against emerging market currencies on a calming of fears
surrounding Ukraine.
The U.S. dollar index , which measures the dollar
against six major currencies, was last up 0.16 percent at
80.072. The euro last traded down 0.24 percent against
the dollar at $1.3793.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury debt prices extended gains on
Wednesday after the government sold $35 billion in new five-year
notes amid very strong demand from fund managers and other
investors.
Five-year notes were last up 8/32 in price to
yield 1.70 percent, down from 1.74 percent earlier on Wednesday.
The yields rose as high as 1.77 percent on Tuesday, the highest
since Jan. 9, and are up from around 1.54 percent before
Yellen's comments a week ago.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
LONDON - Gold fell to near $1,300 an ounce on Wednesday as
encouraging U.S. manufacturing data reduced bullion's appeal to
institutional investors as a hedge against economic uncertainty,
sending prices to their lowest in more than five weeks.
Spot gold was down 0.6 percent at $1,302.31 an ounce
by 2:32 p.m. EDT (1832 GMT), having fallen to $1,300.09 in
earlier trade, its lowest since mid-February.
U.S. COMEX gold futures for April delivery settled
down $8 an ounce at $1,303.40, with trading volume about 10
percent above its 30-day average, preliminary Reuters data
showed.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper retreated on Wednesday from the two-week
high hit in the previous session, but the outlook for metals
demand remained supported by prospects that China will stimulate
its economy.
LME three-month copper closed down 1.4 percent at
$6,510 a tonne, after rising 2 percent on Tuesday to post its
biggest one-day percentage gain since mid-September.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Brent crude dipped and U.S. crude rose in choppy
trading on Wednesday, narrowing the spread between the two
benchmarks.
Brent for May delivery fell 24 cents to $106.75
by12:07 p.m. EDT (1607 GMT). U.S. crude , known as
WestTexas Intermediate or WTI, climbed 50 cents to $99.69 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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