MELBOURNE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to
open lower on Monday, with unrest in Libya and Bahrain likely to
weigh on market sentiment, while investors will focus on a
flurry of company results and West Australian Newspapers' A$3.5 billion plan to buy Seven Media Group
* Stock index futures fell 0.2 percent to
4,910.0, a 26.7
point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark index slipped 1.7 points on Friday, but was up 1.1 percent for the week after touching a 10-month closing high on Thursday.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index XX in early trade.
* West Australian Newspaper Holdings is set to announce plans to buy Seven Media Group from private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Seven Group in a deal reported to be worth A$3.5 billion ($3.5 billion), including a A$1 billion capital raising.
* BHP Billiton Chief Executive Marius Kloppers said he sees iron ore prices staying strong for two years, as supplies are likely to remain tight.
* The earnings flurry peaks this week. On Monday, Woodside Petroleum, packaging group Amcor and BlueScope Steel top the list of companies reporting half-year or annual results. Others reporting include contractor United Group , oil refiner Caltex Australia and WAN.
* U.S. stocks ended higher for a third week on Friday as late-comers added to the speediest rally in stocks since the Great Depression. Analysts said investors appear reluctant to sell despite slack volume and a narrowing spread between winners and losers.
* Copper ended firm on Friday after another round of monetary tightening in China failed to surprise bullish traders, who held their bets on healthier demand prospects for industrial metals this year.
* Gold rose above $1,390 an ounce, underpinnned by fears over a European debt crisis, rising inflation and growing unrest in the Middle East.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2124 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1343.01 0.19% 2.580 USD/JPY 83.06 -0.25% -0.210
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.5818 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1388.58 -0.02% -0.270 US CRUDE 86.2 -0.19% -0.160 DOW JONES 12391.25 0.59% 73.11 ASIA ADRS 147.09 -0.39% -0.58
* Market up for 3rd week as late-comers jump in
* Oil slips in volatile trade eyeing Mideast
* Gold notches best weekly gain since December
* Copper ends firm, discounts China rate move
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 fell 0.2 percent to
4,910.0, a 26.7
point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. The benchmark index slipped 1.7 points on Friday, but was up 1.1 percent for the week after touching a 10-month closing high on Thursday.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index XX in early trade.
* West Australian Newspaper Holdings is set to announce plans to buy Seven Media Group from private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Seven Group in a deal reported to be worth A$3.5 billion ($3.5 billion), including a A$1 billion capital raising.
* BHP Billiton Chief Executive Marius Kloppers said he sees iron ore prices staying strong for two years, as supplies are likely to remain tight.
* The earnings flurry peaks this week. On Monday, Woodside Petroleum, packaging group Amcor and BlueScope Steel top the list of companies reporting half-year or annual results. Others reporting include contractor United Group , oil refiner Caltex Australia and WAN.
* U.S. stocks ended higher for a third week on Friday as late-comers added to the speediest rally in stocks since the Great Depression. Analysts said investors appear reluctant to sell despite slack volume and a narrowing spread between winners and losers.
* Copper ended firm on Friday after another round of monetary tightening in China failed to surprise bullish traders, who held their bets on healthier demand prospects for industrial metals this year.
* Gold rose above $1,390 an ounce, underpinnned by fears over a European debt crisis, rising inflation and growing unrest in the Middle East.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2124 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1343.01 0.19% 2.580 USD/JPY 83.06 -0.25% -0.210
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.5818 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1388.58 -0.02% -0.270 US CRUDE 86.2 -0.19% -0.160 DOW JONES 12391.25 0.59% 73.11 ASIA ADRS 147.09 -0.39% -0.58
* Market up for 3rd week as late-comers jump in
* Oil slips in volatile trade eyeing Mideast
* Gold notches best weekly gain since December
* Copper ends firm, discounts China rate move
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.