-----------------------(14:19 / 0219 GMT)-----------------------
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 4,299.40 -26.90 NZSX 50 3,069.00 +12.85
DJIA 9,370.07 +113.81 Nikkei 10,412.09 +24.00
NASDAQ 2,000.25 +27.09 FTSE 4,731.56 +41.03
S&P 500 1,010.48 +13.40 Hang Seng 20,899.24 -523.87
SPI 200 Fut 4,303.00 +41.00 CRB Index 264.35 +0.00
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 94.310 -0.060 US 10 YR Bond 3.856 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.880 -0.010 US 30 YR Bond 4.609 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8370 0.8389 NZD US$ 0.6715 0.6719
EUR US$ 1.4185 1.4363 Yen US$ 97.55 95.36
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 956.00 Silver (Lon) 14.650
Gold (NY) 953.90 Light Crude 70.80
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks rallied on Friday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 to a 10-month high as the July jobs report was less bleak than feared and underpinned hopes the economy was on track for recovery.
For the day, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 113.81 points, or 1.23 percent, at 9,370.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 13.40 points, or 1.34 percent, at 1,010.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 27.09 points, or 1.37 percent, at 2,000.25.
For the week, the Dow was up 2.2 percent, the S&P 500 was up 2.3 percent and the Nasdaq was up 1.1 percent.
The S&P 500 is now up about 50 percent from its 12-year closing low in early March, helped by stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and a string of economic data that has suggested a recovery.
For a full report, double click on
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LONDON - Britain's top share index hit a 10-month closing high on Friday after U.S. employers shed far fewer jobs than expected, driving fresh optimism that the economy may be on the path to recovery.
The FTSE 100 closed up 0.9 percent, or 41.03 points, at 4,731.56, after data showed U.S. non-farm payrolls dropped by 247,000 in July against a fall of 320,000 estimated by analysts polled by Reuters, while unemployment slowed.
The index gained strength from oil majors, as crude prices climbed to six-week high above $72 a barrel following the reassuring U.S employment data.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average hit its highest close in 10 months on Friday, helped by companies such as Toray Industries which had surprisingly good earnings reports.
In light trade, the Nikkei inched up 0.2 percent to 10,412.09, its highest close since Oct. 6. It posted a 0.5 percent gain on the week.
The broader Topix dipped 0.1 percent to 956.76.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are seen starting slightly higher on Monday after Wall Street rallied on Friday.
September share price index futures rose 41 points to 4,303 -- a 0.1 percent premium to the close in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index on Friday, when the market fell 0.6 percent.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar vaulted higher on Friday as data showed the pace of U.S. job losses slowed last month, adding to recent evidence that the health of the world's largest economy is starting to improve.
The U.S. currency rose more than 2 percent against the yen to its best level since June and its biggest daily gain against Japan's currency in two months.
Crucially, it also surged against the euro, bucking a recent trend in which the dollar tended to fall on good news as investors shunned it for higher-yield, higher-risk currencies and assets such as commodities and stocks.
Friday's data showing employers cut 247,000 jobs in July -- far fewer than the 467,000 positions lost in June -- added to a batch of strong data that suggested the U.S. economy will recover before other economies do, eventually leading to higher interest rates and boosting the value of dollar assets.
The dollar soared 2.1 percent to 97.50 yen, while the euro recorded its worst one-day decline in a month, shedding 1.3 percent to $1.4168. It hit $1.4446 earlier this week, its best level since December.
Sterling fell 0.6 percent to $1.6681, retreating further from a 10-month high above $1.70 reached this week. The greenback rose 1.6 percent to 1.0822 Swiss francs.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries prices fell on Friday after news that U.S. job losses slowed in July brightened the economic outlook and gave investors less cause to buy safe-haven assets like U.S. government debt.
The widely accepted view that the economy would grow in the second half of the year encouraged investors to choose riskier assets. As a result, the stock market rallied while the Treasury market retreated.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell three-quarters of a point, its yield climbing to the highest in nearly two months at 3.86 percent.
Investors' diminished appetite for safe-haven Treasuries could complicate next week's Treasury auctions totaling $75 billion in three-, 10- and 30-year securities.
In general, when the economy looks troubled and the Fed looks ready to cut interest rates, investors are happy to lodge new Treasury securities in their portfolios.
But if investors become more comfortable with riskier assets like stocks and corporate bonds, they will expect lower prices and higher yields in return for buying Treasuries.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK/LONDON - Gold futures ended lower in choppy trade Friday as the dollar rallied on optimistic U.S. jobs data and the market digested news that European central banks extended an agreement limiting gold sales.
But gold could soon reverse its losses if global monetary easing prompts investors to buy more gold as a hedge against inflation.
U.S. December gold futures settled down $3.40 at $959.50 an ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Spot gold was at $955.10 an ounce at 2:19 p.m. EDT (1819 GMT), against $962.15 late in New York on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on
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BASE METALS
NEW YORK/LONDON - Copper prices reversed earlier losses and extended gains into the close on Friday, after stronger-than-expected employment data in the United States sparked renewed optimism about the economic outlook.
Copper for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division ended up 3.35 cents at $2.7855 a lb, well within reach of its 10-month high of $2.8385 reached on Wednesday.
On the London Metal Exchange (LME), three-month copper rebounded from earlier losses to end up $125 at $6,150 a tonne, nearing its 10-month high of $6,235.
Prices had earlier fallen after Chinese policymakers said bank lending in the second half of the year would be weaker than in the first half.
The metal used in power and construction is up about 50 percent since early April.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil fell from six-week highs on Friday, pressured by gains in the dollar following the release of better-than-expected U.S. job-loss numbers.
U.S. employers cut 247,000 jobs in July, far less than expected and the least in any month since last August, according to a government report, adding to optimism that the world's largest economy was turning around.
U.S. crude settled $1.01 lower at $70.93 a barrel, after touching a six-week high of $72.84 earlier. London Brent crude fell $1.24 to settle at $73.59 a barrel.
For a full report, double click on
- - - - ((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234)) Keywords: MORNINGCALL/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 4,299.40 -26.90 NZSX 50 3,069.00 +12.85
DJIA 9,370.07 +113.81 Nikkei 10,412.09 +24.00
NASDAQ 2,000.25 +27.09 FTSE 4,731.56 +41.03
S&P 500 1,010.48 +13.40 Hang Seng 20,899.24 -523.87
SPI 200 Fut 4,303.00 +41.00 CRB Index 264.35 +0.00
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 94.310 -0.060 US 10 YR Bond 3.856 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.880 -0.010 US 30 YR Bond 4.609 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.8370 0.8389 NZD US$ 0.6715 0.6719
EUR US$ 1.4185 1.4363 Yen US$ 97.55 95.36
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 956.00 Silver (Lon) 14.650
Gold (NY) 953.90 Light Crude 70.80
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks rallied on Friday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 to a 10-month high as the July jobs report was less bleak than feared and underpinned hopes the economy was on track for recovery.
For the day, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 113.81 points, or 1.23 percent, at 9,370.07. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 13.40 points, or 1.34 percent, at 1,010.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 27.09 points, or 1.37 percent, at 2,000.25.
For the week, the Dow was up 2.2 percent, the S&P 500 was up 2.3 percent and the Nasdaq was up 1.1 percent.
The S&P 500 is now up about 50 percent from its 12-year closing low in early March, helped by stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and a string of economic data that has suggested a recovery.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's top share index hit a 10-month closing high on Friday after U.S. employers shed far fewer jobs than expected, driving fresh optimism that the economy may be on the path to recovery.
The FTSE 100 closed up 0.9 percent, or 41.03 points, at 4,731.56, after data showed U.S. non-farm payrolls dropped by 247,000 in July against a fall of 320,000 estimated by analysts polled by Reuters, while unemployment slowed.
The index gained strength from oil majors, as crude prices climbed to six-week high above $72 a barrel following the reassuring U.S employment data.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average hit its highest close in 10 months on Friday, helped by companies such as Toray Industries which had surprisingly good earnings reports.
In light trade, the Nikkei inched up 0.2 percent to 10,412.09, its highest close since Oct. 6. It posted a 0.5 percent gain on the week.
The broader Topix dipped 0.1 percent to 956.76.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are seen starting slightly higher on Monday after Wall Street rallied on Friday.
September share price index futures rose 41 points to 4,303 -- a 0.1 percent premium to the close in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index on Friday, when the market fell 0.6 percent.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar vaulted higher on Friday as data showed the pace of U.S. job losses slowed last month, adding to recent evidence that the health of the world's largest economy is starting to improve.
The U.S. currency rose more than 2 percent against the yen to its best level since June and its biggest daily gain against Japan's currency in two months.
Crucially, it also surged against the euro, bucking a recent trend in which the dollar tended to fall on good news as investors shunned it for higher-yield, higher-risk currencies and assets such as commodities and stocks.
Friday's data showing employers cut 247,000 jobs in July -- far fewer than the 467,000 positions lost in June -- added to a batch of strong data that suggested the U.S. economy will recover before other economies do, eventually leading to higher interest rates and boosting the value of dollar assets.
The dollar soared 2.1 percent to 97.50 yen, while the euro recorded its worst one-day decline in a month, shedding 1.3 percent to $1.4168. It hit $1.4446 earlier this week, its best level since December.
Sterling fell 0.6 percent to $1.6681, retreating further from a 10-month high above $1.70 reached this week. The greenback rose 1.6 percent to 1.0822 Swiss francs.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries prices fell on Friday after news that U.S. job losses slowed in July brightened the economic outlook and gave investors less cause to buy safe-haven assets like U.S. government debt.
The widely accepted view that the economy would grow in the second half of the year encouraged investors to choose riskier assets. As a result, the stock market rallied while the Treasury market retreated.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell three-quarters of a point, its yield climbing to the highest in nearly two months at 3.86 percent.
Investors' diminished appetite for safe-haven Treasuries could complicate next week's Treasury auctions totaling $75 billion in three-, 10- and 30-year securities.
In general, when the economy looks troubled and the Fed looks ready to cut interest rates, investors are happy to lodge new Treasury securities in their portfolios.
But if investors become more comfortable with riskier assets like stocks and corporate bonds, they will expect lower prices and higher yields in return for buying Treasuries.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK/LONDON - Gold futures ended lower in choppy trade Friday as the dollar rallied on optimistic U.S. jobs data and the market digested news that European central banks extended an agreement limiting gold sales.
But gold could soon reverse its losses if global monetary easing prompts investors to buy more gold as a hedge against inflation.
U.S. December gold futures settled down $3.40 at $959.50 an ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Spot gold was at $955.10 an ounce at 2:19 p.m. EDT (1819 GMT), against $962.15 late in New York on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
BASE METALS
NEW YORK/LONDON - Copper prices reversed earlier losses and extended gains into the close on Friday, after stronger-than-expected employment data in the United States sparked renewed optimism about the economic outlook.
Copper for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division ended up 3.35 cents at $2.7855 a lb, well within reach of its 10-month high of $2.8385 reached on Wednesday.
On the London Metal Exchange (LME), three-month copper rebounded from earlier losses to end up $125 at $6,150 a tonne, nearing its 10-month high of $6,235.
Prices had earlier fallen after Chinese policymakers said bank lending in the second half of the year would be weaker than in the first half.
The metal used in power and construction is up about 50 percent since early April.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil fell from six-week highs on Friday, pressured by gains in the dollar following the release of better-than-expected U.S. job-loss numbers.
U.S. employers cut 247,000 jobs in July, far less than expected and the least in any month since last August, according to a government report, adding to optimism that the world's largest economy was turning around.
U.S. crude settled $1.01 lower at $70.93 a barrel, after touching a six-week high of $72.84 earlier. London Brent crude fell $1.24 to settle at $73.59 a barrel.
For a full report, double click on
- - - - ((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234)) Keywords: MORNINGCALL/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.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.