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(Add Australian stock market trend, update numbers)
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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,411.45 -25.55 NZSX 50 4,964.34 -8.86
DJIA 16,253.02 +54.61 Nikkei 14,923.11 -47.86
NASDAQ 4,314.60 +22.53 FTSE 6,810.27 +11.12
S&P 500 1,851.52 +6.36 Hang Seng 22,828.18 +390.74
SPI 200 Fut 5,416.00 +20.00 TRJCRB Index 301.59 -0.02
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 4.063 -0.005 US 10 YR Bond 2.651 -0.023
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.580 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 3.606 -0.029
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8962 0.8930 NZD US$ 0.8376 0.8320
EUR US$ 1.3712 1.3686 Yen US$ 102.08 102.38
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1332.25 Silver (Lon) 21.380
Gold (NY) 1330.70 Light Crude 102.45
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Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks rose on Thursday after comments from
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen offered some relief to
investors worried about the central bank's tapering of economic
stimulus.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 74.33 points or
0.46 percent, to 16,272.74. The S&P 500 gained 8.64
points or 0.47 percent, to 1,853.80. The Nasdaq Composite
added 29.969 points or 0.7 percent, to 4,322.033.
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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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set for a firm start on
Friday after comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen
offered some relief to investors worried about the central
bank's tapering of economic stimulus.
Australia's share price index futures added 0.4
percent to 5,415, a 3.6-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX
200 index close on Thursday. The local benchmark had its
largest one-day drop in three weeks in last session, largely due
to Qantas Airways Ltd 's poor earnings.
More results are expected on Friday, including Woolworths
, Virgin Australia , James Hardie Industries
and Warrnambool Cheese and Butter .
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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 - U.S. Treasury debt prices rose on Thursday as
tensions between Ukraine and Russia spurred safety buying,
helping to stoke strong demand at a seven-year note auction.
Benchmark 10-year notes were up 6/32 in price,
sending yields down to 2.653 percent, the lowest since Feb. 7.
Thirty-year bonds US30YT=RR were up 13/32, pushing yields down
to 3.614 percent from Wednesday's close of 3.635 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 oil futures fell on Thursday, pressured by
civil unrest in Ukraine that curbed overall risk appetite and
fueled fears that it would slow growth in Europe and lessen oil
demand.
Brent crude was down 74 cents at $108.78 a barrel at
1:58 p.m. EST (1858 GMT). It settled almost unchanged overnight.
U.S. oil fell 53 cents to $102.06 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/