WELLINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Asian shares are set to ease
on Friday after U.S. stocks fell on weak data and fears the U.S.
government's economic plans would limit profits.
The main Wall Street indexes fell up to 2.4 percent as investors viewed President Barack Obama's plan to expand healthcare provision and cut costs as likely to strangle earnings in the sector.
Financial shares fell as a report showed the number of troubled banks rose in the fourth quarter.
Britain launched a scheme to insure the toxic assets crippling its major bank.
Japanese shares are likely to slip, with Nikkei futures traded in Chicago last trading at 7,405 points, 65 points below the last traded level in Osaka.
The U.S. dollar gained against the yen on safe haven flows, but fell against the euro on weak U.S. home sales data.
Crude oil prices rose for the second day in a row, on expectations of further output cuts by OPEC.
HEADLINES: > Sales of existing U.S. homes, house prices drop > U.S. regulators put big banks to recession test > Manufacturing: Hunkering down in production town > Wall Street stocks slide, oil jumps > Obama budget to spark fight in U.S. Congress > S&P cuts Ukraine ratings, says IMF deal at risk > Saks, TJX see no respite in consumer pullback > Obama reignites fight over U.S. farm subsidies > Apple assures shareholders Jobs is still involved > Obama taps former governor Locke as commerce chief
KEY INDEXES pct change
Bank of New York Asia ADR index -1.95
Dow Jones Industrial Average -1.22
Nasdaq Composite Index -2.38
MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan -0.30
Nikkei futures in Chicago -0.13
Nikkei futures in Osaka 0.53
ASIAN ADR ACTION:
5 most actively traded: pct change
TSMC 0.66
Infosys Tech -1.71
Mitsubishi UFJ -2.19
Siliconware 0.23
BHP Billiton -0.85
Top 5 performers: pct change
Genetic Tech 28.81
Orix 14.51
HSBC Holdings 4.47
Rio Tinto 2.75
Santos 2.61
Bottom 5 performers: pct change
Advantest -13.71
Internet Initiative -8.84
Prana Biotech -7.09
Chartered Semi -6.90
Shanghai Pechem -6.30
TOP ASIA EVENTS:
For more Asian company earnings, see
JAPAN -
HONG KONG - Monetary statistics for January
TAIWAN - Taishin Financial Q4 investors
conference
- January leading indicators
AUSTRALIA - Private sector credit, December
(Reporting by Adrian Bathgate) For top Asian company news, double click on: U.S. company news European company news U.S. weekly outlook European weekly outlook Forex news Global Economy news Tech/Telecoms/Media Banking news Political/General news Asia Macro data ASIA STOCK MARKETS: Pan-Asia........ Japan....... S.Korea... S.E. Asia....... Hong Kong... Taiwan.... Australia/NZ.... India....... China..... DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary/data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Hong Kong diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Asian Stocks Dow Jones/NASDAQ / Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Currency rates Keywords: MARKETS ASIA/ (adrian.bathgate@reuters.com; +64-4-4714233; Reuters Messaging: adrian.bathgate.reuters.com@reuters.net) 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.
The main Wall Street indexes fell up to 2.4 percent as investors viewed President Barack Obama's plan to expand healthcare provision and cut costs as likely to strangle earnings in the sector.
Financial shares fell as a report showed the number of troubled banks rose in the fourth quarter.
Britain launched a scheme to insure the toxic assets crippling its major bank.
Japanese shares are likely to slip, with Nikkei futures traded in Chicago last trading at 7,405 points, 65 points below the last traded level in Osaka.
The U.S. dollar gained against the yen on safe haven flows, but fell against the euro on weak U.S. home sales data.
Crude oil prices rose for the second day in a row, on expectations of further output cuts by OPEC.
HEADLINES: > Sales of existing U.S. homes, house prices drop > U.S. regulators put big banks to recession test > Manufacturing: Hunkering down in production town > Wall Street stocks slide, oil jumps > Obama budget to spark fight in U.S. Congress > S&P cuts Ukraine ratings, says IMF deal at risk > Saks, TJX see no respite in consumer pullback > Obama reignites fight over U.S. farm subsidies > Apple assures shareholders Jobs is still involved > Obama taps former governor Locke as commerce chief
KEY INDEXES pct change
Bank of New York Asia ADR index -1.95
Dow Jones Industrial Average -1.22
Nasdaq Composite Index -2.38
MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan -0.30
Nikkei futures in Chicago -0.13
Nikkei futures in Osaka 0.53
ASIAN ADR ACTION:
5 most actively traded: pct change
TSMC 0.66
Infosys Tech -1.71
Mitsubishi UFJ -2.19
Siliconware 0.23
BHP Billiton -0.85
Top 5 performers: pct change
Genetic Tech 28.81
Orix 14.51
HSBC Holdings 4.47
Rio Tinto 2.75
Santos 2.61
Bottom 5 performers: pct change
Advantest -13.71
Internet Initiative -8.84
Prana Biotech -7.09
Chartered Semi -6.90
Shanghai Pechem -6.30
TOP ASIA EVENTS:
For more Asian company earnings, see
JAPAN -
HONG KONG - Monetary statistics for January
TAIWAN - Taishin Financial Q4 investors
conference
- January leading indicators
AUSTRALIA - Private sector credit, December
(Reporting by Adrian Bathgate) For top Asian company news, double click on: U.S. company news European company news U.S. weekly outlook European weekly outlook Forex news Global Economy news Tech/Telecoms/Media Banking news Political/General news Asia Macro data ASIA STOCK MARKETS: Pan-Asia........ Japan....... S.Korea... S.E. Asia....... Hong Kong... Taiwan.... Australia/NZ.... India....... China..... DIARIES & DATA: IPO diary/data Asia earnings diary U.S. earnings diary European diary Hong Kong diary Wall Street Week Ahead Eurostocks Week Ahead LIVE PRICES & DATA: World Stocks Asian Stocks Dow Jones/NASDAQ / Nikkei FTSE 100 Debt Currency rates Keywords: MARKETS ASIA/ (adrian.bathgate@reuters.com; +64-4-4714233; Reuters Messaging: adrian.bathgate.reuters.com@reuters.net) 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.