WELLINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - - --------------------------------------------------------------- Snapshot at: 07:25 / 1925 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Markets
NetChng
NetChng S&P/ASX 200
5,388.09 +15.58 NZSX 50
6,947.89 +32.19 DJIA
17,847.81 -3.70 Nikkei
16,772.46 +15.11 NASDAQ
4,908.33 +13.44 FTSE
6,265.65 +2.80 S&P 500
2,092.77 +2.23 Hang Seng
20,397.11 +29.06 SPI 200 Fut
5,406.00 +13.00 STI
2,773.31 +6.65 SSEC
2,822.57 +7.49 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bonds
NetChg
NetChg AU 10 YR Bond
2.268 -0.015 US 10 YR Bond
1.833 -0.037 NZ 10 YR Bond
2.635 -0.015 US 30 YR Bond
2.639 -0.031 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Currencies
1700GMT
1700GMT AUD US$
0.7217 0.7191 NZD US$
0.6746 0.6693 EUR US$
1.1189 1.1170 Yen US$
109.75 109.88 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Commodities Gold (Lon)
1,223.85
Silver (Lon)
16.30 Gold (NY)
1,223.78
Light Crude
49.37 TRJCRB Index
185.59 +0.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - Wall Street treaded water on Thursday as investors looked for fresh reasons to buy stocks following two straight days of gains.
Investors this week have grown more comfortable with expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates as soon as June, with many taking the view that such a hike would reflect improvement in the country's sluggish economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 0.13 percent at 17,828.33 points and the S&P 500 .SPX edged up 0.01 percent to 2,090.77. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 0.11 percent to 4,900.41.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top share index steadied at the close on Thursday after reaching a one-month high, as mining shares rallied along with metals prices to offset weaker banking and energy stocks.
The FTSE 100 index .FTSE finished 0.04 percent higher at 6,265.65 points after climbing to 6,281.73, its highest since late April.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japanese stocks were flat in thin, choppy trade on Thursday as indexes gave up earlier gains due to the yen's rising strength against the dollar, which curbed optimism over the profit outlook for exporters and other shares.
The Nikkei share average .N225 edged up 0.1 percent to 16,772.46 for its highest close in nearly a month. The broader Topix .TOPX was flat at 1,342.87 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 .JPXNK400 ended the day flat at 12,114.06.
For a full report, double click on .T
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar fell against the euro, yen, and franc on Thursday after U.S. economic data showed weakness in business spending plans, denting expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate increase in June or July.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, hit 94.938, its lowest level in eight days .DXY . The euro rose more than half a percentage point to a session high of $1.1216, rebounding from Wednesday's 10-week low of $1.1126.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - Yields on U.S. medium- to long-dated Treasuries fell to session lows on Thursday following solid demand at a $28 billion of seven-year note supply, the final leg of this week's $88 billion in coupon-bearing government debt issuance.
Benchmark 10-year Treasury yield US10YT=RR was down 4 basis points at 1.832 percent, while five-year yield US5YT=RR was 5 basis points lower at 1.352 percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold lost its early gains on Thursday, hovering just above the prior session's seven-week low as the U.S. was bolstered by hawkish comments from a Federal Reserve president.
Spot gold XAU= was down 0.3 percent at $1,220.16 an ounce by 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT). The metal had fallen to its lowest since April 6 at $1,217.25 on Wednesday. U.S. gold GCcv1 settled down 0.3 percent at $1,220.40 an ounce.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper prices hit two-week highs on Thursday as stronger oil and a weaker dollar triggered fund buying, but the rally is expected to fade on a poor outlook for demand growth in top consumer China.
Benchmark copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange ended up 0.2 percent at $4,661 a tonne, from an earlier session high at $4,712.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices tested the $50-per-barrel mark on Thursday as production outages brought a faster-than-expected recovery to an oversupplied market many thought will stay depressed through the year.
Brent LCOc1 was up 14 cents at $49.88 a barrel by 11:36 a.m. EDT (1536 GMT) after soaring to $50.51, its highest since early November.
WTI CLc1 rose 10 cents to $49.66, after reaching $50.21, its highest since early October.
For a full report, double click on O/R
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