(Repeats to additional subscribers) ----------------------------------------------------------------
07:07 / 1807 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Markets
NetChng
NetChng S&P/ASX 200
5,816.31 +7.24 NZSX
7,099.98 -80.05 DJIA
20,585.82 -26.04 Nikkei
19,347.53 -90.45 NASDAQ
5,803.94 -15.50 FTSE
7,277.92 -24.49 S&P 500
2,343.28 -5.97 Hang Seng
24,107.70 +112.83 SPI 200 Fut
5,762.00 -2.00 STI
3,096.69 +8.21 SSEC
3,229.41 +16.43 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bonds
NetChg
NetChg AU 10 YR Bond
2.783 -0.031 US 10 YR Bond
2.456 -0.046 NZ 10 YR Bond
3.380 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond
3.049 -0.043 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Currencies
1700GMT
1700GMT AUD US$
0.7697 0.7697 NZD US$
0.7226 0.7217 EUR US$
1.0653 1.0606 Yen US$
113.34 114.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Commodities Gold (Lon)
1,240.55
Silver (Lon)
18.06 Gold (NY)
1,232.56
Light Crude
53.43 TRJCRB Index
193.05 -0.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - Wall Street dipped on Thursday, weighed down by energy stocks as oil prices dropped and as banks shares fell for the first time in six days.
At 12:30 p.m. ET (1730 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI was down 18.05 points, or 0.09 percent, at 20,593.81, and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC was down 12.63 points, or 0.22 percent, at 5,806.81.
For a full report, double click on .N
- - - -
LONDON - Britain's top share index retreated from a one-month high on Thursday, weighed down by a fall among oil firms and those trading ex-dividend, while mid-cap engineer Cobham COB.L slumped after results.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE ended the day down 0.4 percent at 7,273.95 points, in line with a broader decline among European indexes. The FTSE dropped 28.46 points, of which 27.64 were due to ex-divs, according to Reuters calculations
For a full report, double click on .L
- - - -
TOKYO - Japanese stocks retreated on Thursday as a pause in the weakening of the yen gave investors an excuse to book profits, though financials extended their outperformance on rising U.S. yields.
The Nikkei share average .N225 fell 0.5 percent to 19,347.53 after scaling near six-week highs earlier this week.
For a full report, double click on .T
- - - -
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar weakened against a basket of major currencies on Thursday, retreating further from a one-month high, amid lower U.S. bond yields and uncertainty over the timing of the Federal Reserve's next interest rate increase.
The dollar index .DXY was last down 0.7 percent at 100.48, below a one-month peak of 101.76 reached on Wednesday.
For a full report, double click on USD/
- - - -
TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury prices firmed on Thursday as higher yields sparked by rising expectations of an impending interest-rate hike drew some new buyers, though bonds gave up some of their price gains on strong economic data.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR were last up 5/32 in price to yield 2.48 percent, down from 2.50 percent late on Wednesday.
For a full report, double click on US/
- - - -
COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold rose on Thursday as the dollar weakened after a 10-day winning streak and investors took the opportunity to buy bullion as a hedge against political uncertainty in the United States and Europe.
Spot gold XAU= rose 0.7 percent to $1,241.18 an ounce by 1557 GMT and is up about 10 percent from a mid-December low. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 gained 0.7 percent to $1,242.10.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
- - - -
BASE METALS
LONDON - Nickel prices rose to two-month highs on Thursday on mounting concerns about supplies after the suspension of mines in top ore producer the Philippines and its decision to cancel contracts for undeveloped mines.
Benchmark nickel CMNI3 on the London Metal Exchange ended up 1.4 percent at $11,070 a tonne, its highest since Dec. 12. Roughly two-thirds of global nickel supply is used to make stainless steel.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
- - - -
OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices reversed gains to trade nearly 1 percent lower on Thursday but continued to hold in a tight range as the market weighed swelling U.S. inventories against possible renewed efforts by major oil producers to reduce a price-sapping glut.
By 10:34 a.m. ET (1534 GMT), Brent crude LCOc1 was down 48 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $55.27 a barrel while U.S. light crude CLc1 dropped 26 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $52.85 a barrel.
For a full report, double click on O/R
- - - -