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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,436.99 +3.15 NZSX 50 4,973.20 +5.69
DJIA 16,178.85 -0.81 Nikkei 14,970.97 -80.63
NASDAQ 4,285.98 -1.60 FTSE 6,799.15 -31.35
S&P 500 1,843.46 -1.66 Hang Seng 22,317.20 +120.24
SPI 200 Fut 5,418.00 -19.00 TRJCRB Index 301.61 +0.04
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 4.030 +0.035 US 10 YR Bond 2.671 -0.030
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.580 -0.010 US 30 YR Bond 3.634 -0.027
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8954 0.9020 NZD US$ 0.8307 0.8336
EUR US$ 1.3677 1.3742 Yen US$ 102.42 102.29
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1331.75 Silver (Lon) 21.845
Gold (NY) 1340.14 Light Crude 102.61
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks were mostly flat on Wednesday as, for
a third straight session, equities were unable to hold onto
gains that took the S&P 500 near record levels.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 27.93 points,
or 0.17 percent, at 16,207.59. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index
was up 2.08 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,847.20. The
Nasdaq Composite Index was up 11.94 points, or 0.28
percent, at 4,299.53.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Analyst cuts prompted a rush to the exits for
investors in retailer Tesco TSCO.L, weighing on the blue-chip
FTSE 100 on Wednesday and dragging it further away from
a recent multi-year high.
Tesco's heavy weighting within the FTSE meant it acted as a
drag on the parent index and left it down 0.5 percent, or 31.3
points, at 6,799.15, even though fund flows into Europe remain
positive and many expect the fresh 14-year closing high hit on
Monday to be extended in the coming weeks.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average fell on Wednesday after
hitting a four-week closing high the previous day, as investors
took profits after weak U.S. economic data soured sentiment.
The Nikkei ended 0.5 percent lower at 14,970.97. The
broader Topix index slipped 0.7 percent to 1,225.35,
with only 1.9 billion shares changing hands, the smallest volume
since mid-December.
For a full report, double click on .T
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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set to lower on Thursday as
shares hover near a 5-1/2-year high earlier in the week.
Share price index futures fell 0.3 percent to
5,418, a 18.9-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index
. The benchmark finished edged higher on Wednesday.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar rose to its highest in two weeks
against a basket of major currencies on Wednesday, as investors
sought the greenback's safety on continued geopolitical tensions
in Russia and Ukraine.
In late morning trading, the dollar index rose 0.39
percent to 80.457. It hit a high of 80.490, it strongest level
since mid February.
The dollar also rose against the euro , which was down
0.54 percent at $1.3672 after hitting a two week-trough of
$1.3584.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury debt prices inched up on Wednesday
after the release of better-than-expected data on new home sales
and following strong demand for a sale of five-year notes.
Ten-year notes were up 7/32 in price, sending
yields down to 2.687 percent. Thirty-year yields
were up 4/32 in price, pushing yields down to 3.649 percent from
Tuesday's close of 3.661 percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK/LONDON - Gold fell almost 1 percent on Wednesday,
retreating from a four-month high as a dollar rally and surging
U.S. new home sales dented bullion's safe-haven appeal.
Spot gold touched its highest level since Oct. 30
at$1,345.35 an ounce earlier in the day. It was last trading
down 0.8 percent at $1,328.80 by 2:16 p.m. EST (1916 GMT), its
biggest one-day loss in nearly a month.
U.S. COMEX gold futures for April delivery settled
down $14.70 at $1,328 an ounce, with trading 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/SYDNEY - Copper slipped to a three-week low on
Wednesday as worries about credit curbs on top consumer China's
property developers fed into wider concerns about global demand
for the metal.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange
ended at $7,026 a tonne, its lowest level since Feb. 5, and down
from a close of $7,064.50 on Tuesday.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
LONDON - U.S. oil rose more than $1 per barrel on Wednesday
after government data showed a surprisingly small build in crude
oil inventories and another large draw from the American
benchmark's delivery point.
U.S. crude oil rose by more than $1, touching a high
of $102.90 per barrel after the EIA data. The contract last
traded 87 cents higher at $102.70 at 1:02 p.m. EST (1802 GMT).
Brent crude was up 17 cents to $109.68 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))
Keywords: MORNINGCALL/