Direct line: 1300 987 995
(Repeats to additional clients, no changes to text)
-----------------------(06:50 / 1950 GMT)---------------------
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,408.24 +15.42 NZSX 50 4,914.14 +19.04
DJIA 16,109.43 -20.97 Nikkei 14,766.53 -76.71
NASDAQ 4,252.52 -20.26 FTSE 6,796.71 +0.28
S&P 500 1,836.01 -4.75 Hang Seng 22,587.72 +76.80
SPI 200 Fut 5,194.00 +11.00 TRJCRB Index 301.70 +3.21
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 4.125 -0.040 US 10 YR Bond 2.736 +0.026
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.595 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.706 +0.026
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8997 0.9025 NZD US$ 0.8276 0.8317
EUR US$ 1.3734 1.3754 Yen US$ 102.35 102.15
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1320.50 Silver (Lon) 21.750
Gold (NY) 1320.99 Light Crude 103.77
----------------------------------------------------------------
Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks held steady at breakeven levels after
the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's January
policy meeting.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 9.3 points
at 16,121.12. The S&P 500 slipped 2.93 points or 0.2
percent, to 1,837.83.
For a full report, double click on .N
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's top shares steadied on Wednesday as
analysts bet the strong rally that followed a slump in emerging
markets has run out of steam, though Sports Direct gained on
robust profits.
The FTSE 100 closed up 0.28 points - flat in
percentage terms - at 6,796.71 points. It hit 6,810.48, its
highest since late January, earlier in the day. The weakness
followed a rally of around 6 percent since early February.
For a full report, double click on .L
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Wednesday,
retreating from a 2-1/2-week high hit the previous day, as
investors took profit on banks and exporters a day after it had
logged its biggest percentage gain in six months.
The Nikkei shed 0.5 percent to 14,766.53 after a 3.1
percent rise on Tuesday, which took it to the highest close
since Jan. 31. The Topix shed 0.5 percent to 1,218.52
For a full report, double click on .T
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian stocks, holding near three-month highs,
are set to take direction from a slew of results on Thursday,
with investors expecting growth from Leighton Holdings
and Origin Energy but weaker earnings from insurer AMP
.
Local stock index futures slipped 1 point to
5,376.0, a 32.2-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200
index . The benchmark rose 0.3 percent on Wednesday.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The euro hit a session low against the U.S.
dollar on Wednesday, while the dollar turned positive agains the
yen after the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes from its
January policy meeting.
For a full report, double click on USD/
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries prices rose on Wednesday as U.S.
housing starts recorded their biggest drop in almost three
years, raising concerns about the housing recovery, and rose
further after the release of the Fed minutes.
Benchmark 10-year notes rose to yield 2.73
percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
LONDON - Gold fell on Wednesday as muted U.S. producer
prices triggered selling ahead of the release of the closely
watched minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's January meeting.
Spot gold was down 0.1 percent to $1,319.21 an ounce
by 1:33 p.m. EST (1833 GMT).
For a full report, double click on GOL/
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper was broadly flat on Wednesday as concerns
about the demand outlook in top consumer China were offset by a
weaker dollar and near-term tightness in stocks.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange
(LME) was down around 0.1 percent at $7,180 a tonne at the close
after hitting a low of $7,171.50 earlier in the session.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - U.S. crude oil prices rose on Wednesday as a
fresh bout of freezing weather boosted heating oil demand, while
traders weighed concerns that political tensions in Africa and
Venezuela could squeeze global supplies.
U.S. crude was up 59 cents at $103.02 by 1:42 p.m.
EST (1742 GMT), after it touched a session high of $103.34, its
highest since Oct 10. The contract expires on Thursday.
Brent crude fell 2 cents to $110.43 after settling
on Tuesday at its highest level this year.
For a full report, double click on O/R
- - - -
((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 802
7980))
Keywords: MORNINGCALL/