MELBOURNE, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Australian stocks are set to
open slightly higher on Monday as tension in the Middle East
eased after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, but
the focus will be on company results, including top contractor
Leighton Holdings.
* Stock index futures rose 0.8 percent to 4,891, a 10.1 point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark pulled back 0.2 percent on Friday as investors skimmed profits following a seven-day winning streak.
* Copper bounced from a near two-week low to end a shade higher on Friday and gold retreated below $1,360 as broader market sentiment and risk appetite gradually improved after news of the resignation of Mubarak.
* Leighton Holdings and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank continue the reporting season on Monday. Analysts expect Leighton to report a first-half net profit around A$363 million or A$179 million depending on whether the result includes a profit from the sale of a stake in its Indian operations.
* Insurance Australia could be in focus after it cut its full-year margin guidance due to Australia's natural disasters and said its U.K. Business would take a large impairment charge.
* U.S. stocks closed out their second straight week of gains on Friday with a rally sparked after Mubarak resigned, easing tension around the region for now.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index was flat at 3,368.3 in early trade.
---------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2126 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1329.15 0.55% 7.280 USD/JPY 83.53 0.25% 0.210
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.6381 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1356.12 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 85.58 -1.33% -1.150 DOW JONES 12273.26 0.36% 43.97 ASIA ADRS 144.55 0.51% 0.73
* U.S. markets end 2nd week of gains after Mubarak resigns
* U.S. oil falls to 10-wk low as Mubarak steps down
* Gold retreats after Mubarak resigns; support seen
* Copper ends up after Egypt's Mubarak steps down
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 2011. 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 index futures rose 0.8 percent to 4,891, a 10.1 point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark pulled back 0.2 percent on Friday as investors skimmed profits following a seven-day winning streak.
* Copper bounced from a near two-week low to end a shade higher on Friday and gold retreated below $1,360 as broader market sentiment and risk appetite gradually improved after news of the resignation of Mubarak.
* Leighton Holdings and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank continue the reporting season on Monday. Analysts expect Leighton to report a first-half net profit around A$363 million or A$179 million depending on whether the result includes a profit from the sale of a stake in its Indian operations.
* Insurance Australia could be in focus after it cut its full-year margin guidance due to Australia's natural disasters and said its U.K. Business would take a large impairment charge.
* U.S. stocks closed out their second straight week of gains on Friday with a rally sparked after Mubarak resigned, easing tension around the region for now.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index was flat at 3,368.3 in early trade.
---------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2126 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1329.15 0.55% 7.280 USD/JPY 83.53 0.25% 0.210
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.6381 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1356.12 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 85.58 -1.33% -1.150 DOW JONES 12273.26 0.36% 43.97 ASIA ADRS 144.55 0.51% 0.73
* U.S. markets end 2nd week of gains after Mubarak resigns
* U.S. oil falls to 10-wk low as Mubarak steps down
* Gold retreats after Mubarak resigns; support seen
* Copper ends up after Egypt's Mubarak steps down
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 2011. 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.