(Adds Sydney outlook)
-----------------------(07:10 / 1910 GMT)-----------------------
Stock Markets
S&P/ASX 200 4,807.37 +21.79 NZSX 50 3,286.13 +3.86
DJIA 11,008.61 -158.71 Nikkei 11,057.40 +132.61
NASDAQ 2,461.19 -50.73 FTSE 5,553.29 -64.55
S&P 500 1,186.69 -20.09 Hang Seng 20,778.92 +329.67
SPI 200 Fut 4,757.00 -62.00 CRB Index 277.71 +2.42
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 5.710 +0.010 US 10 YR Bond 3.659 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.940 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 4.521 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9244 0.9317 NZD US$ 0.7269 0.7266
EUR US$ 1.3296 1.3287 Yen US$ 93.82 94.05
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1179.25 Silver (Lon) 18.620
Gold (NY) 1177.85 Light Crude 86.15
Overnight market action to New York close on Friday.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday to close out the worst week since January as news of a criminal probe into Goldman Sachs unnerved investors already anxious about the prospects for heavy regulation from Washington.
U.S. prosecutors in New York began an investigation into the investment bank, a source told Reuters, raising the possibility of criminal charges two weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused the bank of fraud.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 158.71 points, or 1.42 percent, to 11,008.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 20.09 points, or 1.66 percent, to 1,186.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 50.73 points, or 2.02 percent, to 2,461.19.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's top share index fell to a two-month closing low on Friday as weakness in banks, prompted by Barclays results and more pressure on Goldman Sachs, combined with falls in miners, hurt by Australian tax plans.
The FTSE 100 index ended down 64.55 points, or 1.2 percent at 5,553.29, having closed 31.23 points, or 0.6 percent higher on Thursday. The index fell to its lowest close since March 4, and is down 3 percent this week, its biggest such drop since November.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average climbed 1.2 percent on Friday, regaining some ground lost in the previous session, as signs that a bailout for debt-ridden Greece could come soon eased fears of wider credit woes.
But Honda Motor Co fell after forecasting a smaller-than-expected rise in operating profit, weighing on the broader market.
The benchmark Nikkei gained 132.61 points to 11,057.40 after falling 2.6 percent on Wednesday. It marked a 1.3 percent gain on the week, snapping a three-week losing streak. It fell 0.3 percent for the month.
The broader Topix was up 1 percent at 987.04.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are likely to slide on Monday, hit by the Government unveiling a new tax on the mining sector and news of a criminal investigation against Goldman Sachs.
Share price index futures fell 62 points to 4,757, a 50.4 point discount to the close in the underlying index on Monday.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The euro rallied against the U.S. dollar on Friday for a third straight day as expectations that Greece will soon receive emergency aid helped calm investors concerned how Athens will pay its huge debts.
Investors were heartened that a multibillion-euro package aimed at averting a default could be announced in coming days. This helped shrink the premium investors demand to hold Greek government bonds over benchmark German paper, supporting the euro.
In late afternoon trade in New York, the euro was up 0.7 percent on the day to stand at $1.3310 after trading as high as $1.3342, according to Reuters data.
This week, concerns about Greece's escalating debt crisis and worries about credit risks in other vulnerable euro zone states had pushed the euro to a one-year low against the dollar. It rose more than 1 percent against the yen to hit a session high at 125.95 yen, then pared gains to trade up 0.6 percent at 125.05 yen as the New York trading day began to close.
The dollar rose as high as 94.60 yen before giving back gains to trade at 93.92 yen, down 0.1 percent from the prior close.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury debt prices rose on Friday as stock market losses and Greece's fiscal woes brought a fresh wave of safe haven bids at month-end.
Bond-friendly economic data showed slower-than-expected U.S. economic growth in the first quarter, supporting the view the Federal Reserve would not need to raise rates until 2011.
Prices on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes rose 17/32. Their yields, which move inversely to price, eased to 3.66 percent from 3.73 percent late on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold hit a 2010 high above $1,180 an ounce on Friday, gaining 1 percent as a widening euro zone sovereign debt crisis prompted investors to buy the metal asset in a flight to safety.
The precious metal has rallied almost 6 percent in April, its biggest one-month rise since November, as credit ratings downgrades of Greece, Spain and Portugal unleashed a wave of risk aversion, channeling money into gold.
Spot gold rose a high of $1,181.05 an ounce on Friday, the firmest since Dec. 4. It was at $1,178.55 an ounce at 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT), against $1,166.10 late in New York on Thursday.
U.S. June gold futures settled up $11.90, or 1 percent, at $1,180.70 an ounce on the COMEX division of the NYMEX.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - A positive copper settlement on Friday was not enough to push prices into the plus column for the month, as uncertainties surrounding a bailout for debt-laden Greece and monetary tightening measures in China fanned concerns about near-term demand prospects.
While prices ended the higher, for the month, the metal used in power and construction lost about five percent of its value, the worst monthly performance since January.
Copper for July delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division ended up 0.30 cent at $3.3535 per lb, after trading in a range from $3.3935 to $3.3355, holding above Thursday's 1-1/2-month low at $3.3340 per lb.
On the London Metal Exchange, benchmark copper ended at $7,430 a tonne, up from $7,355 a tonne at Thursday's close, when it hit its lowest since late March at $7,341.50.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose on Friday, posting the third-straight monthly gain as higher economic growth in the United States and hopes of a bailout to help Greece avoid debt default sparked more risk-taking.
Benchmark U.S. crude futures rose 2.9 percent for the month, despite bulging U.S. oil inventories, and have gained in 13 of the last 15 months.
U.S. crude for June delivery settled 98 cents higher at $86.15 a barrel, rising for the third day in a row, after hitting an intraday high of $86.50, not far below an 18-month high of $87.09 hit on April 6.
ICE Brent crude for June ended up 54 cents at $87.44, after surging to the day's high of $87.72, just below Brent's year's high of $87.75 reached on Monday.
For a full report, double click on
- - - - ((Australia/New Zealand bureaux; +61 2 9373 1800/+64 4 471 4234)) Keywords: MORNINGCALL/ (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
S&P/ASX 200 4,807.37 +21.79 NZSX 50 3,286.13 +3.86
DJIA 11,008.61 -158.71 Nikkei 11,057.40 +132.61
NASDAQ 2,461.19 -50.73 FTSE 5,553.29 -64.55
S&P 500 1,186.69 -20.09 Hang Seng 20,778.92 +329.67
SPI 200 Fut 4,757.00 -62.00 CRB Index 277.71 +2.42
Bonds
AU 10 YR Bond 5.710 +0.010 US 10 YR Bond 3.659 +0.000
NZ 10 YR Bond 5.940 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond 4.521 +0.000
Currencies (Prev at 7pm NZST)
AUD US$ 0.9244 0.9317 NZD US$ 0.7269 0.7266
EUR US$ 1.3296 1.3287 Yen US$ 93.82 94.05
Commodities
Gold (Lon) 1179.25 Silver (Lon) 18.620
Gold (NY) 1177.85 Light Crude 86.15
Overnight market action to New York close on Friday.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday to close out the worst week since January as news of a criminal probe into Goldman Sachs unnerved investors already anxious about the prospects for heavy regulation from Washington.
U.S. prosecutors in New York began an investigation into the investment bank, a source told Reuters, raising the possibility of criminal charges two weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused the bank of fraud.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 158.71 points, or 1.42 percent, to 11,008.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 20.09 points, or 1.66 percent, to 1,186.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 50.73 points, or 2.02 percent, to 2,461.19.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's top share index fell to a two-month closing low on Friday as weakness in banks, prompted by Barclays results and more pressure on Goldman Sachs, combined with falls in miners, hurt by Australian tax plans.
The FTSE 100 index ended down 64.55 points, or 1.2 percent at 5,553.29, having closed 31.23 points, or 0.6 percent higher on Thursday. The index fell to its lowest close since March 4, and is down 3 percent this week, its biggest such drop since November.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average climbed 1.2 percent on Friday, regaining some ground lost in the previous session, as signs that a bailout for debt-ridden Greece could come soon eased fears of wider credit woes.
But Honda Motor Co fell after forecasting a smaller-than-expected rise in operating profit, weighing on the broader market.
The benchmark Nikkei gained 132.61 points to 11,057.40 after falling 2.6 percent on Wednesday. It marked a 1.3 percent gain on the week, snapping a three-week losing streak. It fell 0.3 percent for the month.
The broader Topix was up 1 percent at 987.04.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
SYDNEY - Australian shares are likely to slide on Monday, hit by the Government unveiling a new tax on the mining sector and news of a criminal investigation against Goldman Sachs.
Share price index futures fell 62 points to 4,757, a 50.4 point discount to the close in the underlying index on Monday.
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The euro rallied against the U.S. dollar on Friday for a third straight day as expectations that Greece will soon receive emergency aid helped calm investors concerned how Athens will pay its huge debts.
Investors were heartened that a multibillion-euro package aimed at averting a default could be announced in coming days. This helped shrink the premium investors demand to hold Greek government bonds over benchmark German paper, supporting the euro.
In late afternoon trade in New York, the euro was up 0.7 percent on the day to stand at $1.3310 after trading as high as $1.3342, according to Reuters data.
This week, concerns about Greece's escalating debt crisis and worries about credit risks in other vulnerable euro zone states had pushed the euro to a one-year low against the dollar. It rose more than 1 percent against the yen to hit a session high at 125.95 yen, then pared gains to trade up 0.6 percent at 125.05 yen as the New York trading day began to close.
The dollar rose as high as 94.60 yen before giving back gains to trade at 93.92 yen, down 0.1 percent from the prior close.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury debt prices rose on Friday as stock market losses and Greece's fiscal woes brought a fresh wave of safe haven bids at month-end.
Bond-friendly economic data showed slower-than-expected U.S. economic growth in the first quarter, supporting the view the Federal Reserve would not need to raise rates until 2011.
Prices on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes rose 17/32. Their yields, which move inversely to price, eased to 3.66 percent from 3.73 percent late on Thursday.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold hit a 2010 high above $1,180 an ounce on Friday, gaining 1 percent as a widening euro zone sovereign debt crisis prompted investors to buy the metal asset in a flight to safety.
The precious metal has rallied almost 6 percent in April, its biggest one-month rise since November, as credit ratings downgrades of Greece, Spain and Portugal unleashed a wave of risk aversion, channeling money into gold.
Spot gold rose a high of $1,181.05 an ounce on Friday, the firmest since Dec. 4. It was at $1,178.55 an ounce at 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT), against $1,166.10 late in New York on Thursday.
U.S. June gold futures settled up $11.90, or 1 percent, at $1,180.70 an ounce on the COMEX division of the NYMEX.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - A positive copper settlement on Friday was not enough to push prices into the plus column for the month, as uncertainties surrounding a bailout for debt-laden Greece and monetary tightening measures in China fanned concerns about near-term demand prospects.
While prices ended the higher, for the month, the metal used in power and construction lost about five percent of its value, the worst monthly performance since January.
Copper for July delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division ended up 0.30 cent at $3.3535 per lb, after trading in a range from $3.3935 to $3.3355, holding above Thursday's 1-1/2-month low at $3.3340 per lb.
On the London Metal Exchange, benchmark copper ended at $7,430 a tonne, up from $7,355 a tonne at Thursday's close, when it hit its lowest since late March at $7,341.50.
For a full report, double click on
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose on Friday, posting the third-straight monthly gain as higher economic growth in the United States and hopes of a bailout to help Greece avoid debt default sparked more risk-taking.
Benchmark U.S. crude futures rose 2.9 percent for the month, despite bulging U.S. oil inventories, and have gained in 13 of the last 15 months.
U.S. crude for June delivery settled 98 cents higher at $86.15 a barrel, rising for the third day in a row, after hitting an intraday high of $86.50, not far below an 18-month high of $87.09 hit on April 6.
ICE Brent crude for June ended up 54 cents at $87.44, after surging to the day's high of $87.72, just below Brent's year's high of $87.75 reached on Monday.
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 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.