MORNING REPORT (7.15am AEDT)

US consumer confidence fell from an upwardly revised 72.0 to 63.4 in March. Rising gasoline prices and the Japanese nuclear crisis would have taken a toll on the latest reading. US S&P/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 metropolitan areas fell by 0.2pct in January - marking the eight straight month of falls. Prices were down 3.1pct on a year ago. US ICSC chain store sales rose by 0.2pct in the past week compared with the prior week. Sales were up 2.6pct on the same period a year ago.

European shares were mostly higher on Tuesday driven by the mining stocks, which benefited from higher base metal prices. BHP rose 2.2pct while Rio Tinto gained 2pct. The strength in the mining sector was offset by weakness in the banking sector after Italian lender UBI Banca raised its capital requirements by a €1 billion. The FTSEurofirst index rose 0.4pct, the German Dax eased by 0.1pct and the UK FTSE rose 0.5pct.

US sharemarkets rallied on Tuesday, with investors shrugging of the weak economic data. However trading volumes were still light. Retail and tech stocks were among the better performers as investors found value after the recent falls. The Dow Jones index rose by 81pts or 0.7pct with the S&P 500 was higher by 0.7pct and the Nasdaq gained 26pts or 1.0pct.

US treasuries fell (yields higher) on Tuesday, following tepid demand for the $35 billion auction of 5yr notes. A hawkish tone from US Federal Reserve officials also supported yields. St Louis Fed President James Bullard maintained that the US economy was strong enough to curtail the Fed´s $600 billion bond-buying program by $100 billion. US 2yr yields rose 7pts to 0.82pct and US 10yr yields rose 5pts to 3.48pct.

The US dollar recovered from early losses against the Euro following the hawkish comments from a US Fed official. The Euro hit early highs near US$1.4150 to lows near US$1.4055 and closed US trade near US$1.4105. The Aussie dollar rose from early lows near US102.05c to US102.95c, ending US trade near US102.90c. And the Japanese yen eased from highs near 81.55 yen per US dollar to JPY82.50, ending US trade near its lows for the session.

US crude oil prices rose in thin trade on Tuesday. Traders lowered expectations of a quick resumption in Libya´s oil exporting capabilities as Colonel Gaddafi´s forces reversed some of the recent rebel advances. The Nymex crude oil contract rose by US81c or 0.8pct to US$104.79 a barrel. And the London Brent crude rose by US36c to US$115.16 a barrel.

Base metal prices were higher on the London Metal Exchange supported by the strength in equity markets. Volumes continued to remain weak despite the bounce. Lead gained 2.3pct, while Aluminium rose to 2½ year high, up 1.3pct.And the gold price eased as the prospect of rate hikes across the globe undermined gold as an inflation hedge. The Comex gold futures price fell by US$3.80 or 0.3pct to US$1417.50.

Ahead: In Australia, skilled vacancies data is released. In the US, no economic data is released.

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