(Updates with fresh numbers throughout, adds Sydney pre-open)
WELLINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - - --------------------------------------------------------------- Snapshot at: 07:11 / 2111 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stock Markets
NetChng
NetChng S&P/ASX 200 5,424.25 +10.60 NZSX 50
7,571.10 +67.60 DJIA
18,526.14 -11.98 Nikkei
17,012.44 -69.54 NASDAQ
5,283.93 +8.02 FTSE
6,846.58 +20.53 S&P 500
2,186.16 -0.32 Hang Seng
23,741.81 -45.87 SPI 200 Fut
5,396.00 -18.00 STI
2,893.65 -2.90 SSEC
3,092.41 +1.69 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bonds
NetChg
NetChg AU 10 YR Bond
1.917 +0.019 US 10 YR Bond
1.536 -0.007 NZ 10 YR Bond
2.260 +0.000 US 30 YR Bond
2.234 -0.006 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Currencies
1700GMT
1700GMT AUD US$
0.7667 0.7670 NZD US$
0.7450 0.7431 EUR US$
1.1238 1.1248 Yen US$
101.72 101.40 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Commodities Gold (Lon)
1,348.35
Silver (Lon)
19.76 Gold (NY)
1,349.56
Light Crude
46.14 TRJCRB Index
182.47 +1.57 ----------------------------------------------------------------
EQUITIES
NEW YORK - U.S. stocks ended little changed on Wednesday, though the Nasdaq eked out another record high close, as investors assessed the outlook for U.S. interest rates.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was down 11.98 points, or 0.06 percent, to 18,526.14, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 0.33 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,186.15 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 8.02 points, or 0.15 percent, to 5,283.93, a record high close.
For a full report, double click on .N
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LONDON - Britain's top stock index rose on Wednesday, supported by stronger precious metals and oil company shares as well as by gains at equipment rentals company Ashtead AHT.L .
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE ended 0.3 percent higher at 6,846.58 points, putting the index's gains this year at about 10 percent.
For a full report, double click on .L
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TOKYO - Japanese stocks fell on Wednesday after exporters and other cyclical shares took a hit on a strengthening yen JPY= as weak U.S. service sector activity reduced the chances of a near-term interest rate increase by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The Nikkei .N225 ended 0.4 percent lower at 17,012.44. The broader Topix index .TOPX dropped 0.2 percent to 1,349.53, while the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 .JPXNK400 fell 0.3 percent to 12,119.24.
For a full report, double click on .T
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SYDNEY- Australian shares are expected to tread water on Thursday following a flat finish on Wall Street. A late rally in oil prices is likely to support energy stocks.
Local share price index futures .YAPcm1 fell 0.3 percent, or 18 points, at a 28.3 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX200 index .AXJO . The benchmark ended 0.2 percent higher on Wednesday.
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FOREIGN EXCHANGE
NEW YORK - The dollar fell to a more than one-week low against the yen on Wednesday after a report from the Sankei newspaper that Bank of Japan policymakers are divided ahead of the central bank's next meeting.
The dollar fell nearly 1 percent to its lowest against the yen since Aug. 26, when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gave an upbeat speech on the economy that revived bets of a rate hike in the near term. The dollar recouped some of those losses as investors took profits on the strong move, which followed a 1-percent drop against the yen on Tuesday. The dollar was last down 0.25 percent JPY= at 101.73 yen.
For a full report, double click on USD/
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TREASURIES
NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields edged lower on Wednesday, with prices trading in narrow ranges, on investors' view that a Federal Reserve rate hike later this month was unlikely after a round of mostly weak economic data.
In late New York trading, benchmark 10-year Treasury notes US10YT=RR were up 2/32 in price to yield 1.534 percent, from 1.543 percent on Tuesday. Yields fell as low as 1.519 percent, a three-week trough. The 30-year Treasury bond US30YT=RR rose 7/32 in price to yield 2.229 percent, from 2.240 percent late Tuesday. Earlier, 30-year yields slid to a four-week low of 2.206 percent. Prices of two-year notes US2YT=RR were flat with a yield of 0.738 percent.
For a full report, double click on US/
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COMMODITIES
GOLD
NEW YORK - Gold dipped on Wednesday, losing momentum due to profit-taking after it soared by the most in over two months in the previous session on economic data that weakened the case for an imminent U.S. rate hike.
Spot gold XAU= was down 0.3 percent at $1,345.32 per ounce by 2:17 p.m. EDT (1817 GMT). The metal earlier touched a high of $1,352.65, its best since Aug. 19. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 slipped 0.3 percent to end the session at $1349.2 per ounce.
For a full report, double click on GOL/
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BASE METALS
LONDON - Copper prices hit two-week highs on Wednesday as growing expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will hold U.S. interest rates steady kept the dollar under pressure, but worries about Chinese demand limited gains.
Benchmark copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange was untraded at the close, but bid up 0.6 percent at $4,650 a tonne after earlier touching $4,688.50, its highest since Aug. 24.
For a full report, double click on MET/L
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OIL
NEW YORK - Oil prices rose 1.5 percent on Wednesday as the market focused on the possibility that the world's top producers would agree on an output freeze.
Trade was choppy as some traders eyed U.S. oil inventory data due late Wednesday and Thursday morning for clearer direction.
Brent futures LCOc1 rose 72 cents to settle at $47.98 a barrel after trading between $46.97 and $48.10. U.S. crude CLc1 traded between $44.55 and $45.58 before finishing 67 cents higher on the day at $45.50. That was a third day of gains in a row for the U.S. futures.
For a full report, double click on O/R
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