MELBOURNE, Dec 30 - Australian shares are seen supported
on Thursday by higher metal prices and positive overseas
markets, though activity is expected to be light and subdued
ahead of New Year celebrations and summer holidays.
* Local share price index futures eased 1 point to
4,773, a 2.2
point discount to the last close of theunderlying S&P/ASX 200 index.
* Austal Ltd will be in focus after it won a U.S. Navy contract for more than $430 million for coastal combat ships. See
* Rare earth prospectors Arafura and Lynas could remain in focus after big gains on Wednesday after China cut its rare earths export quotas.
* The S&P 500 headed for its best December in nearly two decades as U.S. stocks advanced in thin trade on Wednesday, lifted by investor optimism about the economy in 2011. The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 0.09 percent, S&P 500 rose 0.11 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index firmed 0.15 percent.
* Mining shares, which dominate the market, could remain supported after gold hit highest in three weeks, silver rose toward a 30-year high and copper rose to a record high.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index slipped 1.9 points to 3323.7 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2156 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1259.78 0.1% 1.270 USD/JPY 81.6 -0.04% -0.030
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.3528 --
0.139SPOT GOLD 1411.09 0.01% 0.100 US CRUDE 91 -0.54% -0.490 DOW JONES 11585.38 0.09% 9.84 ASIA ADRS 142.00 0.87% 1.23
* U.S. stocks close slightly higher, strong Dec seen
* Oil slips, ends lower on profit taking
* Gold hits 3-week high, silver up but volume thin
* Copper hits record on 2011 demand view
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.
* Local share price index futures eased 1 point to
4,773, a 2.2
point discount to the last close of theunderlying S&P/ASX 200 index.
* Austal Ltd will be in focus after it won a U.S. Navy contract for more than $430 million for coastal combat ships. See
* Rare earth prospectors Arafura and Lynas could remain in focus after big gains on Wednesday after China cut its rare earths export quotas.
* The S&P 500 headed for its best December in nearly two decades as U.S. stocks advanced in thin trade on Wednesday, lifted by investor optimism about the economy in 2011. The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 0.09 percent, S&P 500 rose 0.11 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index firmed 0.15 percent.
* Mining shares, which dominate the market, could remain supported after gold hit highest in three weeks, silver rose toward a 30-year high and copper rose to a record high.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index slipped 1.9 points to 3323.7 in early trade.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2156 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1259.78 0.1% 1.270 USD/JPY 81.6 -0.04% -0.030
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.3528 --
0.139SPOT GOLD 1411.09 0.01% 0.100 US CRUDE 91 -0.54% -0.490 DOW JONES 11585.38 0.09% 9.84 ASIA ADRS 142.00 0.87% 1.23
* U.S. stocks close slightly higher, strong Dec seen
* Oil slips, ends lower on profit taking
* Gold hits 3-week high, silver up but volume thin
* Copper hits record on 2011 demand view
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.