SYDNEY, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Australian stocks could rise on
Friday on the first day of 2009 trading, following an end of year
rally on Wall Street on Dec 31, though trading is expected to be
very thin with many investors on extended new year holidays.
Share index futures settled on Dec 31 at 3,746, a 23.7 point premium to the 3,722.3 close in the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index that day.
After its worst ever year in 2008, when the index lost 41 percent, investors see a rocky start for 2009, though there are signs of hope that the Australian economy may hold up as interest rates fall further and the government lifts spending.
New Zealand's financial markets are closed for a public holiday.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2058 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 903.25 1.42% 12.610 USD/JPY 90.72 0.06% 0.050
10-YR US TSY YLD 2.2189 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 880.15 0.13% 1.100 US CRUDE 43.35 11.07% 3.630 DOW JONES 8776.39 1.25% 108.00 ASIA ADRS 95.04 0.96% 0.90
* Wall St closes out worst year since Depression
* Oil jumps 14 percent, products up
* Gold shines late, posts annual gain
* Copper up on higher China VAT, output cuts
For a digest of the day's business stories in Australian newspapers, double click on
((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234))
DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary & data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Australia diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead ................................................................ For latest top breaking news across all markets ................................................................ TOP NEWS SUMMARIES ON OTHER SUBJECTS | U.S. Companies | European Companies | | Forex | Global Economy | | Tech.Media,Telecoms | Banking, Financials | | Politics & General | Sports | ................................................................ MAJOR STOCK MARKET REPORTS New York Weekly outlook New York Pan-Europe Weekly outlook Europe London Weekly outlook London Tokyo ................................................................ ASIA STOCK MARKETS Pan-Asia...................... Bangkok...... Karachi........ S/east Asia. Bombay....... Kuala Lumpur... Sydney/NZ... China........ Seoul.......... Taipei...... Hong Kong.... Singapore...... Tokyo........ ................................................................ Access to some items may depend on subscription level. ................................................................ UP-TO-THE-MINUTE HEADLINES Company results Economic indicators Mergers & acquisitions Interest rates LIVE PRICES & DATA World Stocks Currency rates Dow Jones/NASDAQ Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt HOW TO FIND INFORMATION YOU NEED | | | | | || | | | LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Currency rates Dow Jones/NASDAQ Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Australian dollar LME price overview Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA STOCKS (Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News, please visit http://topnews.reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Share index futures settled on Dec 31 at 3,746, a 23.7 point premium to the 3,722.3 close in the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index that day.
After its worst ever year in 2008, when the index lost 41 percent, investors see a rocky start for 2009, though there are signs of hope that the Australian economy may hold up as interest rates fall further and the government lifts spending.
New Zealand's financial markets are closed for a public holiday.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2058 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 903.25 1.42% 12.610 USD/JPY 90.72 0.06% 0.050
10-YR US TSY YLD 2.2189 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 880.15 0.13% 1.100 US CRUDE 43.35 11.07% 3.630 DOW JONES 8776.39 1.25% 108.00 ASIA ADRS 95.04 0.96% 0.90
* Wall St closes out worst year since Depression
* Oil jumps 14 percent, products up
* Gold shines late, posts annual gain
* Copper up on higher China VAT, output cuts
For a digest of the day's business stories in Australian newspapers, double click on
((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234))
DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary & data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Australia diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead ................................................................ For latest top breaking news across all markets ................................................................ TOP NEWS SUMMARIES ON OTHER SUBJECTS | U.S. Companies | European Companies | | Forex | Global Economy | | Tech.Media,Telecoms | Banking, Financials | | Politics & General | Sports | ................................................................ MAJOR STOCK MARKET REPORTS New York Weekly outlook New York Pan-Europe Weekly outlook Europe London Weekly outlook London Tokyo ................................................................ ASIA STOCK MARKETS Pan-Asia...................... Bangkok...... Karachi........ S/east Asia. Bombay....... Kuala Lumpur... Sydney/NZ... China........ Seoul.......... Taipei...... Hong Kong.... Singapore...... Tokyo........ ................................................................ Access to some items may depend on subscription level. ................................................................ UP-TO-THE-MINUTE HEADLINES Company results Economic indicators Mergers & acquisitions Interest rates LIVE PRICES & DATA World Stocks Currency rates Dow Jones/NASDAQ Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt HOW TO FIND INFORMATION YOU NEED | | | | | || | | | LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Currency rates Dow Jones/NASDAQ Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Australian dollar LME price overview Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA STOCKS (Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News, please visit http://topnews.reuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.