(Add Sydney stock market trend, update numbers) Snapshot at: 07:26 / 2126 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Markets
NetChng
NetChng S&P/ASX 200
5,669.52 +45.37 NZSX 50
5,891.85 +21.08 DJIA
17,745.98 -5.41 Nikkei
20,522.83 +219.92 NASDAQ
5,128.79 +17.05 FTSE
6,668.87 +37.87 S&P 500
2,108.63 +0.06 Hang Seng
24,497.98 -121.47 SPI 200 Fut
5,623.00 +9.00 FTSTI
3,249.52 -34.48 SSEC
3,705.73 -83.44 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bonds
NetChg
NetChg AU 10 YR Bond
2.793 -0.071 US 10 YR Bond
2.257 -0.020 NZ 10 YR Bond
3.425 -0.030 US 30 YR Bond
2.943 -0.043 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Currencies
1700GMT
1700GMT AUD US$
0.7287 0.7302 NZD US$
0.6598 0.6624 EUR US$
1.0930 1.0964 Yen US$
124.14 124.14 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Commodities Gold (Lon)
1,087.50
Silver (Lon)
14.72 Gold (NY)
1,096.31
Light Crude
48.44 TRJCRB Index
204.72 -0.77 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Overnight market action with latest New York figures.
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - Wall Street ended flat on Thursday as investors digested ho-hum corporate earnings and new data showed that the economy grew more quickly in the second quarter.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI ended 0.03 percent weaker at 17,745.98, while the S&P 500 .SPX was unchanged at 2,108.63. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 0.33 percent to 5,128.79.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top share index rose for a third straight day on Thursday, with energy shares leading the way as oil prices gained and Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L rallied after it announced jobs and spending cuts.
The FTSE 100 index .FTSE closed 0.6 percent higher at 6,668.87 points after touching a one-week high of 6,697.40 points earlier in the session.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Nikkei share average rose sharply on Thursday to a near one-week high as investors in export focused firms took heart from the Federal Reserve's upbeat assessment of the U.S. economy, and strong earnings posted by blue-chips like Hitachi and Nintendo.
The Nikkei share average .N225 ended 1.1 percent higher at 20,522.83, the highest closing level since July 24. It snapped a four-day losing streak.
The broader Topix .TOPX rose 0.8 percent to 1,647.21 in heavy trade, with 2.60 billion shares changing hands, the highest volume since July 10.
The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 .JPXNK400 advanced 0.8 percent to 14,859.33.
For a full report, double click on .T
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SYDNEY - Australian shares are set to have a cautious start on Friday on falling commodity prices and jitters about China after its stock market retreated.
Local share price index futures YAPcm1 is up 0.2 percent or 9 points, but that was a 46.5-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX200 index. The benchmark touched a one-week peak on Thursday to end the session with a second straight day of solid gains.
Investors will be watching Atlas Iron AGO.AX 's production report for the fourth quarter.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar rose to a one-week high against a basket of currencies on Thursday as news of faster U.S. economic growth in the second quarter supported expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates as early as September.
The dollar index .DXY was up 0.5 percent at 97.496 after touching 97.773, its highest in a week. The greenback rose to a seven-week peak of 124.58 yen before retreating to 124.12 yen, up 0.2 percent on the day JPY= .
The euro shed 0.5 percent to $1.0925 EUR= after hitting an one-week low at $1.0894.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasuries prices were mixed on Thursday and the yield curve turned flatter following strong U.S. economic growth data that led to gains for longer-dated debt and stable short-end prices as expectations of a September U.S. rate rise heightened.
Following the data, the 10-year Treasury price turned positive, rising 3/32 of a point in price to pull the yield, which moves in the opposite direction, down to 2.26 percent US10YT=RR . The 30-year bond rose 21/32 of a point in price, pushing the yield down to 2.95 percent. Before the data the 30-year bond was trading at a yield of 3.00 percent. US30YT=RR
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK/LONDON - Gold fell 1 percent on Thursday to a near a 5-1/2-year low as the dollar rose after data showed the U.S. economy improved in the second quarter, supporting views that the Federal Reserve would lift rates by year-end.
Spot gold XAU= dropped as much as 1.3 percent to a session low of $1,081.85 an ounce in earlier trading, not far from its cheapest since February 2010 at $1,077 hit after a selloff on July 20. It was down 0.7 percent at $1,089.11 by 2:07 p.m. EDT (1807 GMT).
U.S. gold for August delivery GCcv1 slipped 0.4 percent to settle at $1,088.40 an ounce.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper slipped on Thursday, weighed down by a firmer dollar after the U.S. Federal Reserve set the scene for a possible interest rate rise and on jitters about China after its stock market retreated.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 slid 1.3 percent to close at $5,260 a tonne after rising 0.6 percent in the previous session when prices hit the highest in six days at $5,398 a tonne. Copper has shed about 17 percent so far this year.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Crude futures settled down on Thursday, pressured by a rally in the dollar which countered bullish sentiment from a drawdown in U.S. stockpiles that was much steeper than expected.
Brent LCOc1 settled down 7 cents, or 0.1 percent, at $53.31 a barrel. U.S. crude CLc1 closed lower by 27 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $48.52.
For a full report, double click on O/R
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