MELBOURNE, March 7 (Reuters) - Australian stocks are set to
open lower on Monday with unrest in Libya and the Middle East
stoking concerns about high oil prices stifling economic growth
and dampening demand for risk assets.
* Stock index futures fell 0.6 percent to 4,836.0, a 28.3-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark rose 1.2 percent on Friday to a two-week closing high on renewed confidence in the U.S. economic outlook.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.3 percent to 3,428.4 in early trade.
* U.S. stocks erased most of their weekly gains on Friday as fears of more geopolitical turmoil an higher oil prices threaten to stifle rallies in coming weeks. The worries overshadowed news that U.S. Unemployment fell below 9 percent for the first time in nearly two years.
* Copper backed away from a near three-week high to end down on Friday and gold rose above $1,430 an ounce as oil prices rose on escalating violence in North Africa. Brent crude pushed above $116 a barrel.
* Private equity owned Nine Entertainment sold its 49.1 percent stake in carsales.com for just under A$562 million to cut debt, easing the need for CVC Asia Pacific to float Nine in what could have been a $5 billion IPO.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2207 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1321.15 -0.74% -9.820 USD/JPY 82.32 0.06% 0.050
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.4937 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1431.95 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 104.42 2.46% 2.510 DOW JONES 12169.88 -0.72% -88.32 ASIA ADRS 145.35 -0.57% -0.83
* Wall St ends the week flat as oil prices weigh
* Oil jumps as Libya clashes intensify; Mideast worry
* Gold gains 1 pct, silver hits 31-year high
* Copper ends down as geopolitical tensions flare
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 0.6 percent to 4,836.0, a 28.3-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index . The benchmark rose 1.2 percent on Friday to a two-week closing high on renewed confidence in the U.S. economic outlook.
* New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.3 percent to 3,428.4 in early trade.
* U.S. stocks erased most of their weekly gains on Friday as fears of more geopolitical turmoil an higher oil prices threaten to stifle rallies in coming weeks. The worries overshadowed news that U.S. Unemployment fell below 9 percent for the first time in nearly two years.
* Copper backed away from a near three-week high to end down on Friday and gold rose above $1,430 an ounce as oil prices rose on escalating violence in North Africa. Brent crude pushed above $116 a barrel.
* Private equity owned Nine Entertainment sold its 49.1 percent stake in carsales.com for just under A$562 million to cut debt, easing the need for CVC Asia Pacific to float Nine in what could have been a $5 billion IPO.
----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2207 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1321.15 -0.74% -9.820 USD/JPY 82.32 0.06% 0.050
10-YR US TSY YLD 3.4937 -
0.000SPOT GOLD 1431.95 0.00% 0.000 US CRUDE 104.42 2.46% 2.510 DOW JONES 12169.88 -0.72% -88.32 ASIA ADRS 145.35 -0.57% -0.83
* Wall St ends the week flat as oil prices weigh
* Oil jumps as Libya clashes intensify; Mideast worry
* Gold gains 1 pct, silver hits 31-year high
* Copper ends down as geopolitical tensions flare
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.