FROM: MORRISON SECURITIES PTY. LTD.

U.S. STOCK MARKETS:

U.S. stocks were slightly higher Tuesday, with the S&P 500 Index extending its advance into a fourth session, after a gauge of consumer sentiment rose to a 12-month high and oil prices fell.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 8.66 points to 12,990.17, with Johnson & Johnson leading gains that included 18 of its 30 components. Poised for its longest rise since a four-session winning run that ended Jan. 23, the S&P 500 climbed nearly 2 points to 1,369.05, with technology up the most and utilities the leading decliner among its 10 major sectors.

Mixed economic data provided conflicting direction earlier in the session. The Commerce Department's latest report on durable-goods showed orders fell in January at the fastest pace in three years, decreasing 4% compared with the 1.1% drop expected by economists.

U.S. home prices fell 3.8% in December from a month earlier, ending 2011 at the lowest level since mid-2006, according to the Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller home-price index. Nonetheless, the Conference Board said U.S. consumer confidence rose to its highest reading in a year, lifted by a better outlook on the job market.

A regional Fed measure of economic activity in the mid-Atlantic area expanded for the third month in a row, albeit at a slower rate. Priceline.com Inc. jumped 6.9% a day after the online-travel site reported earnings and sales that topped market expectations. Office Depot Inc. shares rallied nearly 16% after the retailer reported a fourth-quarter profit, reversing course on its year-ago loss.

EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS

European stocks notched up slight gains Tuesday as investors parsed conflicting economic data from the U.S. and looked ahead nervously to the European Central Bank's second offer of three-year loans to banks Wednesday.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index closed 0.2% higher at 264.33, after trading as high as 265.03 and as low as 262.61. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose 0.2% to 5,927.91, France's CAC 40 index was up 0.4% at 3,453.99, and Germany's DAX 30 index added 0.6% to 6,887.63.

Posting the biggest gain in the Stoxx 600, Persimmon PLC surged 12.7% in London after the home builder said it expects strong sales going forward and plans to return GBP1.9 billion of cash to shareholders.

In the broader European stock market, banks and miners boosted sentiment after a gauge for U.S. consumer confidence rose to its highest level in a year in February.

Vedanta Resources PLC gained 1.7%, Evraz PLC added 3.6% and Rio Tinto PLC rose 0.8% on the back of higher metals prices. Bank shares seesawed between gains and losses during the day ahead of the ECB's second three-year long-term refinancing operations, which will be allotted Wednesday.

HSBC Holdings PLC added 1.1% and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC climbed 1.4%. French bank Societe Generale SA added 2%, while Credit Agricole SA dropped 0.5%. Deutsche Bank AG gained 0.7%, while Commerzbank AG lost 1.5%.

Oil stocks were among the biggest decliners after the data. Tullow Oil PLC lost 1.5%, BG Group PLC shed 0.5%, and BP PLC was off 0.5% in London.

ASIA-PACIFIC STOCK MARKETS

Most Asian stock markets rose Tuesday against the backdrop of a retreat in crude-oil prices, with a weakened yen and strong retail sales lifting Japanese stocks despite a fall in technology shares after Elpida Memory's bankruptcy filing.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 1.7%, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average gained 0.9%, China's Shanghai Composite advanced 0.2% and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.6%.

Retail stocks led Tokyo higher in the afternoon session after a 1.9% year-on-year rise for January retail sales. Fast Retailing added 2.1%, Seven & I Holdings gained 1.1% and Takashimaya rose 1.7%.

The yen's decline against the dollar and the euro spurred many exporters, lifting Fanuc Corp. 2.0%, Nikon 1.9% and Sony 0.7%.

There was weakness in technology stocks after memory chip maker Elpida announced its bankruptcy filing late Monday. Elpida stock plummeted 24%, also dragging down shares of some other technology shares.

Renesas Electronics fell 3.3% and Advantest lost 1.5%. But Elpida rivals elsewhere gained on hopes investments to boost production capacity will fall, boosting prices.

In Seoul, Hynix Semiconductor climbed 6.8%, while Samsung Electronics gained 1.2%.

Several airline stocks in the region rose in the region as crude-oil prices declined. Korean Air Lines gained 3.2% in Seoul, Cathay Pacific Airways rose 5.7% in Hong Kong, and All Nippon Airways rose 0.4% in Tokyo.

Hang Seng Bank rose 5.1% in Hong Kong after posting a 12% gain in 2011 profit. But index heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC fell 0.7%, tracking the previous day's losses in London, as earnings results overnight showed profit in line with analysts' expectations but costs continuing to rise.

COMMODITIES

Base metals closed mostly higher on the London Metal Exchange Tuesday, although markets struggled for firm direction amid mixed macro cues.

At the close, LME three-month copper was 0.7% higher at $8,599 a metric ton, while nickel lagged the complex, closing 1.9% lower at $19,775/ton.

Crude-oil futures fell for a second straight session Tuesday, after data on durable-goods orders and home prices showed declines, dulling the prospects for oil demand.

The market is trying to strike a balance between factoring in worries over the potential of a supply disruption over the West's dispute with Iran about its nuclear program and the impact that high prices will have on demand, traders said. Light, sweet crude oil for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled $2.01 lower at $106.55 a barrel.

Silver futures rallied 4.5% to their highest level in five months while gold settled at its highest level in three months amid growing investor interest in precious metals and a weaker dollar.

The most actively traded silver contract, for May delivery, settled at $37.205 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold for April delivery, the most active contract, rallied $13.50, or 0.8%, to settle at $1,788.40 a troy ounce on the Comex, the highest settlement since Nov. 9.