WELLINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - - --------------------------------------------------------------- Snapshot at: 07:37 / 2037 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Markets
NetChng
NetChng S&P/ASX 200
4,980.36 +103.60 NZSX 50
6,137.70 +4.32 DJIA
16,377.37 +40.71 Nikkei
17,044.99 -146.26 NASDAQ
4,498.15 -6.09 FTSE
5,898.76 +61.62 S&P 500
1,910.78 -1.75 Hang Seng
19,183.09 +191.50 SPI 200 Fut
4,908.00 -25.00 STI
2,558.49 +7.75 SSEC
2,781.80 +42.55 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bonds
NetChg
NetChg AU 10 YR Bond
2.584 -0.006 US 10 YR Bond
1.860 -0.021 NZ 10 YR Bond
3.155 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond
2.695 -0.010 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Currencies
1700GMT
1700GMT AUD US$
0.7194 0.7175 NZD US$
0.6720 0.6657 EUR US$
1.1197 1.1074 Yen US$
116.73 118.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Commodities Gold (Lon)
1,156.35
Silver (Lon)
14.89 Gold (NY)
1,142.53
Light Crude
31.64 TRJCRB Index
163.45 -0.73 ----------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - the S&P 500 and Nasdaq edged lower in choppy trading Thursday after disappointing forecasts from retailers and as investors braced for Friday's monthly jobs report.
The Dow was in positive territory, helped by shares of Goldman Sachs (N:GS) GS.N , up 2 percent at $155.73.
Adding to the day's overall weakness, though, was data showing nonfarm productivity fell in the fourth quarter at its fastest pace in more than a year. New orders for U.S. factory goods also fell in December by the most in a year.
At 3:08 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 15.79 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,352.45, the S&P 500 .SPX had lost 4.44 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,908.09 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC had dropped 18.40 points, or 0.41 percent, to 4,485.84.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top share index rallied on Thursday, rebounding from the previous session's falls after a drop in the dollar boosted commodity prices and gave a lift to mining and oil shares.
Britain's FTSE 100 was up 1.1 percent at 5,898.76 points at its close, snapping a three-day losing streak that had seen the index shed 4 percent.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average fell to a one-week low on Thursday as a stronger yen hurt market sentiment, while bellwether companies such as Panasonic Corp 6752.T and Hitachi Ltd 6501.T dived after cutting earnings forecasts. The Nikkei .N225 dropped 0.9 percent to 17,044.99, the lowest closing price since Jan. 28.
The broader Topix .TOPX dropped 1.2 percent to 1,388.81 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 .JPXNK400 shed 1.2 percent to 12,532.60.
For a full report, double click on .T
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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set to fall on Friday, with investors wary of more profit warnings as more half-year results trickle in, however the resources sector will limit the market's losses, buoyed by higher iron ore, copper and gold prices.
Pointing to a weaker opening, local share price index futures YAPcm1 fell 0.5 percent to 4,909 to sit at a 71.4-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO . The benchmark rose 1.9 percent on Thursday.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar extended its plunge against major currencies on Thursday as traders sharply unwound bullish bets against the greenback on continued skepticism that the Federal Reserve would be able to hike interest rates this year.
The euro rose more than 1 percent to its highest in 15 weeks at $1.12390 against the dollar EUR=EBS , while the dollar fell more than 1 percent to a two-week low against the yen of 116.525 yen JPY=EBS .
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, hit a roughly 15-week low of 96.259 .DXY .
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries' yields ended lower on Thursday as data showed weaker U.S. growth and investors closed trades that had bet on further interest rate increases ahead of Friday's closely watched employment report.
Benchmark 10-year notes US10YT=RR gained 6/32 in price to yield 1.86 percent, down from 1.88 percent late on Wednesday. The yields have tumbled from 2.30 percent this year.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK/LONDON - Gold rose for a second day on Thursday, hitting three-month highs as the dollar continued to ease amid mounting doubts that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year due to global economic and financial headwinds.
Spot gold XAU= was up more than 1 percent at $1,155 an ounce at 2:20 p.m. EST (1920 GMT), after touching $1,156.60 earlier in the session, its highest since Oct. 29. That built on Wednesday's 1.2 percent rise.
U.S. gold futures for April delivery GCcv1 settled up 1.4 percent at $1,157.5 an ounce.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Zinc climbed to its highest in more than three months on Thursday on concerns about potential shortages, while a slide in the dollar on worries about the U.S. economy boosted copper and the wider industrial metals market.
Three-month benchmark zinc on the London Metal Exchange CMZN3 surged to a peak of $1,728 a tonne, the highest since Oct. 29, before paring gains to close at $1,715, a rise of 1.1 percent. LME copper CMCU3 ended 1.1 percent firmer at $4,687 a tonne, building on the previous session's 1.9 percent gain. The contract touched an intra-day high of $4,720, its highest since Jan. 4.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices were volatile on Thursday, reversing earlier gains as scepticism that cash-strapped OPEC member Venezuela's effort to lobby crude producers for output cuts would succeed offset a weakening dollar.
Brent LCOc1 futures were down 25 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $34.79 a barrel, after trading between $34.15 and $35.84.
U.S. crude CLc1 was down a penny at $32.27 per barrel after swinging between $31.68 and $33.60.
For a full report, double click on O/R
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