SYDNEY, March 23 (Reuters) - Australian stocks are likely to
open higher, led by mining shares tracking a switch back to
riskier assets on Wall Street, where investors were relieved that
a bill to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system finally passed.
Wall Street rose on tech stock gains and the end of a year of uncertainty over healthcare reform.
Share price index futures rose 0.5 percent to
4,880.0, a 49.8-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark index snapped a four
day winning streak on Monday, falling 0.9 percent.
Takeover target Arrow Energy is likely to snare attention again as its top shareholder, New Hope Corp, said it supported a $3.1 billion offer from Royal Dutch Shell and PetroChina.
Top miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto could give investors a better idea on how their keenly watched iron ore pricing talks with Asian steel mills are progressing when they will speak at an industry conference in Perth.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.1 percent to 3,238.0 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2230 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1165.81 0.51% 5.910 USD/JPY 90.07 -0.03% -0.030
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.6607 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 1101.3 -0.03% -0.300 US CRUDE 81.25 0.00% 0.570 DOW JONES 10785.89 0.41% 43.91 ASIA ADRS 132.22 0.65% 0.85
* Markets rise on end to healthcare uncertainty
* Oil rises above $81 after stocks gain, dollar
* Gold hits 3-½ week low; no safe-haven demand
* Copper gains on revived risk appetite
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 2010. 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.
Wall Street rose on tech stock gains and the end of a year of uncertainty over healthcare reform.
Share price index futures rose 0.5 percent to
4,880.0, a 49.8-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark index snapped a four
day winning streak on Monday, falling 0.9 percent.
Takeover target Arrow Energy is likely to snare attention again as its top shareholder, New Hope Corp, said it supported a $3.1 billion offer from Royal Dutch Shell and PetroChina.
Top miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto could give investors a better idea on how their keenly watched iron ore pricing talks with Asian steel mills are progressing when they will speak at an industry conference in Perth.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.1 percent to 3,238.0 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2230 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1165.81 0.51% 5.910 USD/JPY 90.07 -0.03% -0.030
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.6607 -
0.000 SPOT GOLD 1101.3 -0.03% -0.300 US CRUDE 81.25 0.00% 0.570 DOW JONES 10785.89 0.41% 43.91 ASIA ADRS 132.22 0.65% 0.85
* Markets rise on end to healthcare uncertainty
* Oil rises above $81 after stocks gain, dollar
* Gold hits 3-½ week low; no safe-haven demand
* Copper gains on revived risk appetite
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 2010. 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.