FROM MORRISON SECURITIES PTY LTD:

U.S. STOCK MARKETS

Stocks bounced back in afternoon trading from morning losses, but remained in the red amid concerns about slowing global economic growth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 21 points, or 0.2%, to 12956, led lower by Alcoa, which dropped 3.4%. The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was off 5.7 points, or 0.4%, to 1364, with seven of its 10 sectors falling behind, weighed down by materials and technology stocks.

The Nasdaq Composite shed 31 points, or 1%, to 2945. The Nasdaq's outsized decline relative to the other indexes could be traced to drops in a handful of heavyweight technology companies such as Apple, Google, Intel and Qualcomm, and consumer stock priceline.com.

Technology has risen the most of all sectors this year, up 14% year-to-date. The market took its cues from downbeat economic news out of China and Europe.

In China, Premier Wen Jiabao said the 2012 target for economic growth would be 7.5%, down from the 8% target that had been in place for eight years.

In Europe, a reading on business activity contracted more than expected in February.

In addition, there were concerns that the participation rate of Greece's private creditors in the voluntary debt-restructuring deal needed for Greece to receive bailout funds will be too low, which in effect could trigger a default.

In turning lower, the market looked past two new readings on the U.S. economy that beat estimates: the service sector expanded at a faster pace in February and factory orders declined less than expected.

Dow Jones's All Things Digital reported Yahoo Chief Executive Scott Thompson is preparing a broad restructuring of the company, including layoffs likely to number in the thousands. Shares were down 0.7%.

Computer Sciences rose 2% after the company signed a non-binding letter of intent with the U.K. Department of Health to deliver technology services to the agency. US Airways Group fell 8.3% after a key revenue gauge at the airline showed its slowest growth since June.

EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS
European stock markets declined Monday, led lower by banks and miners as data showed euro-zone business activity contracted more than initially thought in February and China cut its economic growth target.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index closed 0.6% lower at 265.56. Among regional bourses, the German DAX 30 index fell 0.8% to 6,866.46, the FTSE 100 index was down 0.6% at 5,874.82, and the CAC 40 index declined 0.4% to 3,487.54.

Salzgitter AG was among the biggest decliners, falling 5.4% after the steel and technology firm reported an 18.6% increase in 2011 revenue, but said a repeat of the 2011 results would be "challenging" in 2012.

Declines came as the Markit euro-zone composite purchasing managers index fell to 49.3 in February from 50.4 in January, below a preliminary estimate of 49.7.

A reading below 50 indicates contraction in private-sector business activity. Italy and Spain both contracted faster in February than in January, suggesting that growth for those countries looks to be a long way off. T

The Spanish IBEX 35 index declined 1.3% to 8,453.50, weighed by the country's banks. BBVA SA fell 1.8%, Banco Santander SA lost 2%, CaixaBank SA shed 1.3%, and Banco de Sabadell SA was 2.6% lower.

Italy's FTSE MIB index closed 0.7% lower at 16,787.15, pressured by Banco Popolare SC, off 1.3%, Unione di Banche Italiane SCpA, down 1.3% and Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna SCARL, 3.1% lower.

Among the biggest decliners in Germany, Commerzbank AG lost 3.3% and Deutsche Bank AG was down 2%. HeidelbergCement AG lost 3.6% after ING downgraded the stock to hold from buy on the back of a 50% rally since September 2011.

Germany's composite PMI fell to a two-month low of 53.2 in February. Resource firms were among the biggest decliners in Europe, after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the annual National People's Congress cut the country's economic growth target to 7.5% for 2012 after keeping it at 8% for the past eight years. I

n London, Essar Energy PLC lost 5.9%, Vedanta Resources PLC fell 3.7%, Xstrata PLC declined 4.9% and heavyweight Rio Tinto PLC was off 3.9%. Kazakhmys PLC tumbled 4.9% after HSBC downgraded the stock to neutral from overweight. Tullow Oil PLC closed 3.3% lower. In France, Credit Agricole SA fell 1.7%, Societe Generale SA was 1.8% lower, and BNP Paribas SA fell 1.4%.

Asian stock markets fell Monday, with resource and technology shares losing ground after China issued a lower economic growth forecast for this year and as Middle East tensions prompted investor caution.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index lost 1.4% to 21,265.31, Japan's Nikkei Stock Average dropped 0.8% to 9,698.59 and China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% to 2,445.

Taiwan's Taiex gave up 1.4% to 8,004.74 and South Korea's Kospi declined 0.9% to 2,016.06.

At China's annual parliamentary session, the National People's Congress in Beijing, Premier Wen Jiabao lowered the nation's growth target for 2012 to 7.5% from the 8% expansion aimed at in recent years.

The annual inflation target was set at 4%. The new growth forecasts, although in line with expectations, led to profit-taking in some exporters relying on Chinese and overseas demand.

Several resource sector shares declined, with Jiangxi Copper losing 4.1% and Angang Steel falling 4% in Hong Kong; on mainland bourses, they fell 0.1 and 1.2%, respectively. Energy stocks were hit by Friday's fall in crude-oil prices, with Tokyo-listed Inpex Corp. retreating 2.1% while PetroChina lost 1.1% in Shanghai and 2.7% in Hong Kong.

In Tokyo, end-of-the-week losses for Nasdaq and a firm Japanese yen also weighed on some technology majors. Sony Corp. dropped 3.3%, Panasonic Corp. lost 2.2%, and Advantest Corp. dropped 3.1%. Shares of Tokyo Electron gave up 3.5% after the tech major said ahead of the market open that it would buy the solar business of Switzerland's Oerlikon Group.

In Seoul, shares of Samsung Electronics dropped 0.7% and LG Display fell 3.4%.

In Hong Kong, shares of insurance major AIA Group were placed on trading suspension pending the announcement of a potential stake sale by American International Group Inc.

COMMODITIES

Copper closed lower on the London Metal Exchange Monday after China cut its growth target to the lowest level since 2004, sparking concerns of a further slowdown in demand from the world's largest consumer of the red metal.

Base metal prices slid into the red after Premier Wen Jiabao lowered the nation's growth target for 2012 to 7.5% from the 8% expansion aimed at in recent years. A weaker-than-expected reading from the Euro-zone services purchasing managers' index added to the downbeat tone.

LME three-month copper, widely viewed as an industrial bellwether, ended at $8,504.50 a metric ton, down 0.9% on Friday's close. Tin, the most thinly traded of the metals complex, posted the largest loss, closing 2.9% lower at $23,025/ton.

Crude futures ended near flat Monday as investors weighed a meeting between the leaders of U.S. and Israel to discuss Iran, and China cut its target for economic growth.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery settled 2 cents higher at $106.72 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after wavering between gains and losses for most of the session.

Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange was recently 39 cents higher at $123.71 a barrel.

President Barack Obama sought to ease a growing rift between his administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during talks between the two leaders Monday, saying U.S. support for Israel is "rock solid."

The statement followed a speech by Obama on Sunday that warned against "loose talk of war," and helped lower oil traders' worries of military action that could threaten crude supplies.

Gold futures settled a touch above $1,700 after a volatile trading day that saw prices temporarily slip below the key price for the third time in four trading days. The fall to a low of $1,694.40 a troy ounce came as the precious metal mirrored losses in equity markets.

The most actively traded contract, for April delivery, settled $5.90, or 0.4%, lower at $1,703.90 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.