Sunday, June 3, 2007

Nikkei flat, Komatsu jumps but China concerns drag

(Reuters) - The Nikkei added 14.54 points to 17,973.42, the highest close since February 27. The broader TOPIX index gained 0.28 percent to 1,772.84.




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Gold retreats from recent rally, TOCOM gains

(Reuters) - Gold fell on Monday, taking a breather after rising more than $10 an ounce to a two-week high on Friday, while Tokyo gold futures extended gains into the fourth session.

On Friday, gold climbed as high as $671.95, the highest since May 16, as a rise in crude oil prices and a faster-than-forecast growth in U.S. jobs fanned concerns about inflation.


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Dollar supported by strong data, yen struggles

(Reuters) - The dollar stayed near an eight-week high against the euro on Monday after a strong U.S. employment report further trimmed expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates from 5.25 percent this year.

The yen hovered within reach of a 4 1/2-year low against the dollar at 122.00 little changed after giving up earlier gains as investors shunned the yen for overseas assets with higher returns than Japan's paltry 0.5 percent.


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SNS to buy AXA Dutch operations for 1.75 bln euros

(Reuters) - AMSTERDAM, June 4 - Dutch financial group SNS Reaal , which will be partly funded by an equity issue.


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Indian Government Bonds Drop on Concern Central Bank Will Drain Spare Cash

(Bloomberg) -- India's bonds fell on concern the
central bank will drain surplus cash from the financial system to
curb inflation.

Ten-year yields, which move opposite to prices, rose after
the Reserve Bank of India increased the size of its weekly
Treasury bill sale on June 6 by more than 50 percent. The bank
also announced a bond sale of 50 billion rupees ($1.2 billion)
under the so-called stabilization plan to drain spare cash. The
measures were announced after the market closed on June 1.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Midwest, Yilgarn Sign Pact for Australian Iron Ore Port, Railroad Project

(Bloomberg) -- Midwest Corp., an Australian iron ore
producer, signed an initial accord with Yilgarn Infrastructure
Ltd. to plan construction of a new port and railroad in Western
Australia state.

The agreement includes the construction of a railroad from
the proposed A$2 billion ($1.7 billion) Oakajee port to
Midwest's Weld Range project, the Perth-based company said today
in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange. Development is
planned to be completed by 2011.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

Indian Rupee May End Three Weeks of Gains on Central Bank Currency Sales

(Bloomberg) -- India's rupee may decline, ending three
weeks of gains, on speculation the central bank will sell the
currency to stem an advance that pushed it to the strongest in
nine years, a survey of traders showed.

The rupee, Asia Pacific's best performing currency this year,
pared gains last week on concern the central stepped up dollar
purchases after the trade deficit widened to a record. The Reserve
Bank of India may seek to protect exporters' earnings being eroded
by a stronger currency.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Whitbread, Anglo American, Imperial Tobacco: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in U.K. and Irish markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses
and prices are from yesterday's market close.

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index rose 55.3, or 0.8 percent, to
close at 6676.7 in London as 79 stocks rose, 20 fell and 3 were
unchanged. The FTSE All-Share Index gained 27.82, or 0.8 percent,
to 3466.52.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

German Stocks Beat Europe, Emerging Markets, Emulating '60s Earnings Gains

(Bloomberg) -- The best emerging market in Europe is
Germany, and the country's publicly traded companies are getting
cheaper by the day.

Not since the 1960s has industrial Germany looked so
appealing to equity investors in search of earnings growth,
acquisitions and rising consumer spending. Compared with Poland,
where stocks are priced at 17.8 times profit, Germany is still
the bargain, says Herbert Perus, who helps oversee about $58
billion as the head of equities at Raiffeisen Capital Management
in Vienna.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

South Korean Stocks Rise, Led by Samsung Electronics, Posco, Hyundai Heavy

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea's benchmark stock index,
the Kospi Index, rose 1.30 percent at 9:05 a.m.

The index of 733 companies traded on the Korea Exchange rose
22.29 to 1,738.53. Among the stocks in the index, 424 rose, 186
fell and 122 were unchanged.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

India, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan: Asia Local Bond Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following events and economic
reports may influence trading in Asian local-currency bonds
today. Yields are from the previous session.

China: The government will sell as much as 15 billion yuan
($1.96 billion) of two-year savings bonds at a yield of 3.42
percent on June 11. Manufacturing activity rose the most in more
than two years in May, a report showed on June 1. The Purchasing
Managers' Index climbed to 54.1 from 53.3 in April, according to
Hong-based CLSA Asia Pacific Markets.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Blackstone to acquire Alliant Insurance Services

(Reuters) - Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Options Traders Bet the Australian Dollar Will Extend Rally Against Yen

(Bloomberg) -- Traders are stepping up purchases of
options to bet Australia's dollar will rally against the yen as
a strengthening Australian economy bolsters demand for the
country's assets.

The Australian dollar set a 15-year high versus the yen
last week as government data showed Australia's capital spending
climbed 9.1 percent in the first quarter, more than double the
median forecast. Australia's benchmark interest rate is at 6.25
percent, compared with 0.5 percent in Japan.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Germany sees no quick fix to hedge fund oversight

(Reuters) - "The government is trying to reach international consensus on potential measures that aim to limit potential systemic risks for financial stability," he wrote in a guest contribution for the weekend edition of the Boersen-Zeitung business daily.




"Our aim is an international code of conduct, which the industry -- also in its own interests -- applies to itself. It's also clear that we're only at the beginning of the debate and that there will not be any quick decisions."


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Smith&Nephew has new ambitions after Swiss buy

(Reuters) - "We have at the moment 30 to 40 companies which are potential takeover targets on our radar screen," he told the newspaper. "The companies are from all over the world, including Switzerland."




O'Donnell is standing down from his post at the British company at the end of June and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer David Illingworth.


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Boots pension trustees preparing for court -paper

(Reuters) - No-one at Boots could be reached for comment.




Boots' in
cash and securities, the paper said.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News