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Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 5,294.00 -61.59 NZSX 50 5,160.39 +5.68
DJIA 16,312.98 +90.81 Nikkei 14,224.23 -238.29
NASDAQ 4,316.19 +8.59 FTSE 6,542.44 -30.69
S&P 500 1,870.38 +9.61 Hang Seng 21,568.69 -386.53
SPI 200 Fut 5,310.00 +13.00 TRJCRB Index 299.50 -3.41
Bonds (Yield)
AU 10 YR Bond 4.150 -0.010 US 10 YR Bond 2.779 +0.007
NZ 10 YR Bond 4.640 -0.010 US 30 YR Bond 3.667 -0.003
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9034 0.9026 NZD US$ 0.8527 0.8529
EUR US$ 1.3775 1.3838 Yen US$ 102.41 102.22
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1327.00 Silver (Lon) 20.170
Gold (NY) 1330.84 Light Crude 99.43
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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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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set to open higher on Friday,
tracking Wall Street, which rose on stronger-than-expected
factory activity.
Local share price index futures rose 0.2 percent to
5,310, an 37-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index
.AXJO close. The benchmark fell 1.1 percent on Thursday.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar rose to a three-week high 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 U.S dollar index , which tracks a bundle of
currencies traded against the greenback, rose for a second
straight day and added nearly 0.2 percent on Thursday to stand
at 80.190, a level last touched on Feb. 27.
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 prices were little changed on Thursday, helped
by bargain hunting after the metal's sharp drop the previous day
on comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that
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 0.1 percent at
$1,329.84 an ounce by 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 GMT).
U.S. gold futures for April delivery settled down
$10.80 an ounce at $1,330.50, with trading volume about 10
percent above its 30-day average.
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 - Brent crude oil futures rose on Thursday as
sanctions against Russia injected a new risk premium into the
market and strong equities provided support, while U.S. crude
fell ahead of the April contract's expiry.
Brent rose 60 cents to settle at $106.45 a barrel,
after touching an intra-session high of $106.75.
U.S. crude for May delivery , which will become the
front-month contract Friday, settled 27 cents lower at $98.90
per barrel, pulled down by U.S. crude for April delivery CLJ4,
which settled 94 cents lower at $99.43.
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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