SYDNEY, March 30 (Reuters) - Australian stocks are set for a
weak start on Monday after Wall Street stocks ended last week on
a down note, with caution setting in after a strong run of gains,
while the mining sector is likely to remain in the spotlight.
Australia's June stock index futures fell 37 points in after-hours trade to settle at 3,640 -- a 32.3 point discount to the close in the physical index on Friday.
The S&P/ASX 200 index added 0.7 percent on Friday, posting its fifth straight session of gains, to end the week with a 6 percent gain.
Speculation mounted at the weekend that the world's biggest miner BHP Billiton Ltd was back on the acquisition trail having gained support from its top investors.
OZ Minerals is also likely to be in focus after the Australian government on Friday said it would block a rescue bid from Chinese state-owned Minmetals if it included OZ's Prominent Hill mine, which is near an important defence facility.
The Australian Financial Review reported on Monday that Minmetals had made a new proposal, excluding Prominent Hill, at the weekend in an effort to resurrect the deal.
OZ Minerals shares remain on a trading halt. It faces a Tuesday deadline to refinance A$1.3 billion ($900 million) in debt.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index was down 17.2 points or 0.6 percent at 2,636.3 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2121 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 815.94 -2.03% -16.920 USD/JPY 98.01 -0.9% -0.890
10-YR US TSY YLD 2.7643 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 922.1 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 52.4 -3.57% -1.940 DOW JONES 7776.18 -1.87% -148.38 ASIA ADRS 91.74 -2.84% -2.68
* U.S. stocks down on profit taking, bank caution
* Oil falls nearly $2 tracking stock markets
* Gold ends lower as dollar rises
* Copper slips from near 5-mth high on demand doubts
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.
Australia's June stock index futures fell 37 points in after-hours trade to settle at 3,640 -- a 32.3 point discount to the close in the physical index on Friday.
The S&P/ASX 200 index added 0.7 percent on Friday, posting its fifth straight session of gains, to end the week with a 6 percent gain.
Speculation mounted at the weekend that the world's biggest miner BHP Billiton Ltd was back on the acquisition trail having gained support from its top investors.
OZ Minerals is also likely to be in focus after the Australian government on Friday said it would block a rescue bid from Chinese state-owned Minmetals if it included OZ's Prominent Hill mine, which is near an important defence facility.
The Australian Financial Review reported on Monday that Minmetals had made a new proposal, excluding Prominent Hill, at the weekend in an effort to resurrect the deal.
OZ Minerals shares remain on a trading halt. It faces a Tuesday deadline to refinance A$1.3 billion ($900 million) in debt.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index was down 17.2 points or 0.6 percent at 2,636.3 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2121 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 815.94 -2.03% -16.920 USD/JPY 98.01 -0.9% -0.890
10-YR US TSY YLD 2.7643 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 922.1 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 52.4 -3.57% -1.940 DOW JONES 7776.18 -1.87% -148.38 ASIA ADRS 91.74 -2.84% -2.68
* U.S. stocks down on profit taking, bank caution
* Oil falls nearly $2 tracking stock markets
* Gold ends lower as dollar rises
* Copper slips from near 5-mth high on demand doubts
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.