Australian Stock Market Report - Morning 25/01/2011
The advance estimate of Germany´s composite purchasing managers index for January lifted from 60.3 to 61.0 - the highest reading since June 2006. Manufacturing fell from 60.7 to 60.2 but services rose from 59.2 to 60.0.
A suicide bomber has killed 35 people at Moscow´s Domodedovo airport - Russia´s busiest.
[Get this delivered to your inbox for FREE. Subscribe to our daily Markets Newsletter.]
European shares rose on Monday with gains by miners, drugmakers and tobacco companies. Mining stocks rose in London with shares in BHP Billiton up by 1.7pct and Rio Tinto higher by 2.5pct. But investors mulled mixed readings on the German economy with a manufacturing gauge slipping in January. The FTSEurofirst index rose by 0.3pct, with the UK FTSE up 0.8pct and German Dax higher by 0.1pct.
US sharemarkets rose on Monday. Shares in Intel rose by 1.9pct after the tech bellwether lifted its dividend by 15pct. Shares in IBM also rose by 2.7pct to lifetime highs. And shares in resource stocks rose in response to higher copper prices. The Dow Jones index closed near the day´s highs, up 108pts or 0.9pct with the S&P 500 up 0.6pct but the Nasdaq was higher by 28pts or 1.0pct.
US treasuries were little changed on Monday. Investors squared positions ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting and upcoming bond auctions. Treasury will sell $35 billion of two-year notes on Tuesday, $35 billion of five-year notes on Wednesday and $29 billion of seven-year notes on Thursday. US 2yr yields were steady near 0.62pct and US 10yr yields were steady at 3.41pct.
The US dollar fell against major currencies for a second day during European and US trade on Monday. The Euro rose from lows near US$1.3540 to US$1.3685 before easing to levels near US$1.3645 in late US trade. The Aussie dollar rose from lows around US98.70c to US100.20, before easing to US99.85c in late US trade. And the Japanese yen rose from 82.90 yen per US dollar to near JPY82.30, before easing to JPY82.50 in late US trade.
US crude oil prices fell for a fifth straight session on Monday. While investors again embraced riskier assets like equities and commodities, and the US dollar eased, this was balanced against fears of increasing oil supply. Last week US crude stocks rose by 2.62 million barrels, ahead of expectations. The Nymex crude oil contract fell by US$1.24 to US$87.87 a barrel. And London Brent crude fell by US99c to US$96.61 a barrel.
Base metal prices were mixed on the London Metal Exchange on Monday. Copper rose 0.9pct and nickel was largely flat but other metals fell slightly with lead down 1.4pct. However the gold price rose on Monday in response to a weaker US dollar and bargain hunting by investors. The Comex gold futures price rose by US$3.50 an ounce to US$1,344.50.
Ahead: In Australia, the consumer price index is released. In the US, consumer confidence and home price data is released. The Federal Reserve begins a two-day meeting.