Aug 11 (Reuters) - Stock Markets
Net Chng
Stock Markets
Net Chng S&P/ASX 200** 5,760.933
-4.760
NZX 50**
7,789.71
-9.930 DJIA**
21,844.01
-204.69
NIKKEI**
19,729.74
-8.97 Nasdaq**
6,216.872
-135.460
FTSE**
7,389.94
-108.12 S&P 500**
2,438.21
-35.81
Hang Seng**
27,444
-313.09 SPI 200 Fut
5,636
-63.00
STI**
3,323.24
5.16 SSEC**
3,261.8019
-13.77
KOSPI**
2,359.47
-8.92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Bonds
Net Chng
Bonds
Net Chng JP 10 YR Bond 0.058
-0.001
KR 10 YR Bond
2.328
-0.011 AU 10 YR Bond 2.637
-0.025
US 10 YR Bond
2.1993
-0.043 NZ 10 YR Bond 2.83
-0.02
US 30 YR Bond
2.7759
-0.042 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Currencies
Net Chng
Net Chng SGD US$
1.3630
0.0015
KRW US$
1,143.23
4.83 AUD US$
0.7886
-0.0003
NZD US$
0.7273
-0.0064 EUR US$
1.1754
-0.0003
Yen US$
109.23
-0.83 THB US$
33.23
-0.02
PHP US$
50.949
0.324 IDR US$
13,333
1
INR US$
64.09
0.235 MYR US$
4.29
0.003
TWD US$
30.309
0.091 CNY US$
6.6485
-0.026
HKD US$
7.8173
0.0021 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
Commodities
Net Chng
Net Chng Spot Gold
1,286.36
9.21
Silver (Lon)
17.121
0.215 U.S. Gold Fut 1,292.2
12.9
Brent Crude
51.85
-0.85 Iron Ore
CNY566.5
4.5
TRJCRB Index
178.9143
-2.642 TOCOM Rubber
JPY213.4
-0.7
LME Copper
6,402
-53 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --
** indicates closing price
All prices as of 2046 GMT
EQUITIES
GLOBAL - Stocks around the world fell sharply on Thursday and investors moved into the yen, gold and other safe-haven assets amid more aggressive talk between the United States and North Korea.
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed 0.77 percent, on track for its third straight day of declines as it pulled further back from all-time highs.
For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB
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NEW YORK - The S&P 500 index ended Thursday with its biggest one-day drop since May 17 as investors fled riskier assets in response to an exchange of threats between the United States and North Korea.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 204.69 points, or 0.93 percent, to 21,844.01, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 35.8 points, or 1.45 percent, to 2,438.22 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 135.46 points, or 2.13 percent, to 6,216.87.
For a full report, click on .N
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LONDON - European shares dropped to their lowest level since late March on Thursday as cyclicals fell and some big stocks went ex-dividend, overshadowing a number of upbeat earnings reports.
The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX index ended down 1 percent at 376.05, after touching 375.42, its lowest level since March 28 as basic resources .SXPP and banks .SX7P fell. Euro zone blue chips .STOXX50E slipped 1.1 percent.
For a full report, click on .EU
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TOKYO - Japanese stocks finished slightly lower after a choppy session on Thursday, as investors kept a wary watch on tension over North Korea ahead of Japan's long weekend.
The Nikkei .N225 finished down 8.97 points, or 0.1 percent, at 19,729.74, erasing early morning gains.
For a full report, click on .T
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SHANGHAI - China stocks ended lower as investors took a cue from weak regional and global markets, selling off shares in materials firms that had benefited from a recent rally.
The blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 fell 0.4 percent, to 3,715.92 points. The Shanghai Composite Index also .SSEC also lost 0.4 percent, clsoing at 3,261.75 points.
For a full report, click on .SS
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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares are poised to open lower on Friday, on track for a second straight session of declines, weighed down by oil stocks as oil prices fell more than 1.5 percent the previous session.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 1.2 percent, or 68 points to 5,631, a 129.9-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close.
For a full report, click on .AX
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SEOUL - South Korean shares slumped to a seven-week low on Thursday on foreign-selling amid anxiety over simmering tensions between the United States and North Korea, knocking the won currency to the weakest in a month.
Institutional buying managed to pull back the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) .KS11 from intraday lows, but the benchmark still closed down 0.4 percent at 2,359.47 points, its weakest since June 21. The index touched a low of 2,339.06 points during the session.
For a full report, click on KRW/
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar slipped to an eight-week low against the Japanese yen on Thursday as continuing tensions between the United States and North Korea led investors to look for assets viewed as less risky.
The dollar was down 0.53 percent against the yen at 109.48 yen, after briefly dropping as low as 109.53. The Japanese currency rallied broadly against most major currencies, including the euro, the kiwi and sterling.
For a full report, click on USD/
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SHANGHAI - China's yuan firmed against the U.S. dollar on Thursday after the central bank lifted its guidance to the strongest level in 10-1/2 months, while corporate dollar sales also lent support.
Prior to market opening, the People's Bank of China set the yuan midpoint CNY=PBOC at 6.6770 per dollar. It was the first setting stronger than the psychologically important 6.7 per dollar level since Sept. 30.
For a full report, click on CNY/
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AUSTRALIA - The New Zealand dollar came off a three-week trough on Thursday as the country's central bank did not sound as perturbed about a soaring currency as some had expected in its monetary policy statement.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) left interest rates at a record low 1.75 percent and kept projections for rates largely unchanged, wrong footing doves who had thought it might lower the future path of hikes.
For a full report, click on AUD/
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SEOUL - The South Korean won KRW= weakened to a four-week low on Thursday, extending a selloff from the previous day.
The won KRW=KFTC was quoted at 1,142.0 to the dollar at the conclusion of onshore trade, the weakest close since July 12, and down 0.6 percent compared to Wednesday's finish.
For a full report, click on KRW/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury long-dated yields dropped to six-week lows on Thursday, pressured by continued tensions between the United States and North Korea as well as weak economic data that reduced expectations of an interest rate hike in December.
Over the last two weeks, U.S. 10-year note and 30-year bond yields have fallen 7 to 10 basis points as the North Korean issue has escalated.
For a full report, click on US/
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LONDON - Europe's top-rated German bond yield fell to a six-week low on Thursday as North Korea outlined detailed plans for a missile strike near the U.S. territory of Guam.
While an investor panic that followed a war of words between Washington and Pyongyang on Wednesday appeared to abate slightly, demand remained firm for assets that tend to perform well in times of market stress, including German Bunds.
For a full report, click on GVD/EUR
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TOKYO - Benchmark Japanese government bonds were flat on Thursday, as investors adjusted positions ahead of a long holiday weekend.
Fears surrounding escalating tensions in North Korea remained, with investors wary of developments in the region. Japanese markets are closed on Friday for a national holiday.
For a full report, click on JP/
COMMODITIES
GOLD
The price of gold climbed to the highest levels in two months on Thursday as the United States and North Korea exchanged more threats, prompting investors to buy bullion as a safe haven asset.
"For now, the uptrend is very much intact in gold, reacting to external geopolitical events," said Jonathan Butler, commodities analyst at Mitsubishi in London.
For a full report, click on GOL/
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IRON ORE
Chinese steel futures rose to a fresh 4-1/2-year high on Thursday as investors remained bullish ahead of production cuts in the world's top steel producer.
Demand remained strong, encouraging steel mills to keep offer prices high. Iron ore futures also climbed.
For a full report, click on IRONORE/
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BASE METALS
Lead prices steadied on Thursday near the six-month highs hit earlier this week, supported by expectations of tighter supplies due to mine closures that have created shortages of concentrate for smelters.
Benchmark lead CMPB3 on the London Metal Exchange slipped 0.7 percent to $2,366 a tonne at the close on profit-taking. On Wednesday the price touched $2,422, its highest since Feb. 14.
For a full report, click on MET/L
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OIL
Oil prices fell more than 1.5 percent on Thursday, as a bruising day on Wall Street bolstered fears of slowing demand amid lingering concerns over a global oversupply of crude.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 settled down 97 cents or 1.96 percent to $48.59 a barrel. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 80 cents or 1.52 percent to $51.90 a barrel.
For a full report, click on O/R
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PALM OIL
Malaysian palm oil futures rose to their highest level in over a week on Thursday evening on expectations of soyoil gains, despite the earlier release of bearish industry data.
The benchmark palm oil contract for October delivery 1FCPOc3 on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was up 1.3 percent to 2,663 ringgit ($620.75) on Thursday evening. It earlier climbed to an intraday high of 2,672 ringgit, its highest level since August 1.
For a full report, click on POI/
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RUBBER
Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures edged lower, slipping from a two-week high hit earlier in the session, as investors locked in profits ahead of a long weekend in Japan.
Financial markets in Japan will be closed on Friday for Mountain Day holiday.
For a full report, click on RUB/T
- - - - (Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)