Change % Change Last
Nikkei 225 +52.16 +0.4% 13,978.46
Topix +9.58 +0.7% 1,379.67
FTSE 100 -16.50 -0.27% 6,181.60
CAC 40 +1.19 +0.02% 5,028.74
Xetra Dax +29.50 +0.42% 7,070.33
DOW +24.43 +0.19% 12,625.62
NASDAQ +16.31 +0.67% 2,464.58
S&P 500 +3.64 +0.26% 1,394.35
10yr Note +0.9900 +0.259% 3.921%
NYMEX Crude Oil -2.36 -1.77% 130.81
Gold -10.30 -1.11% 918.30
Japan's stocks rose, reversing early losses, as refiners gained on record crude prices and exporters rebounded on the weakening yen.
Nippon Oil jumped 5.3%, the highest since Jan. 9, while Idemitsu leapt 6.5%. AOC Holdings Inc.,
whose shareholders include Saudi Arabia, surged 7%. Crude oil, which
has doubled in the past 12 months, surged to as much as $135.04 a
barrel today, boosting the value of refiners' inventories.
Mazda, the world's only mass producer of rotary engines, climbed 2.9 percent, after falling as much as 4.2%. Funai Electric Co.,
which gets 65 percent of its overseas sales from North America,
advanced 3.7% in Osaka trading, the sharpest jump since May 8.Sanyo,
which was bailed by banks including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.,
slumped 4.9%, the sharpest drop since April 9, and was the worst
performer on the Nikkei. The Osaka-based company forecast operating
profit that fell short of analysts' estimates by more than a quarter.
Sumitomo Mitsui,
Japan's third-biggest publicly traded bank, gained 4 percent, after
losing as much as 2.3%. The stock was the biggest contributor to the
Topix's rebound.
European stocks advanced, rebounding from two days of
losses, as rising telephone shares overshadowed concern record oil
prices will curb corporate profits.
Cable & Wireless rose 2.7%. The company may break
itself up, sell some businesses or borrow money to return capital to
shareholders, Finance Director Tony Rice told reporters on a conference
call today.
Telecom Italia advanced 4.6%. Deutsche Bank increased its projections for sales and profit, citing a regulatory decision on termination rates.
Air France slumped 10%, the biggest fall among shares
on the Stoxx 600. The airline posted a fiscal fourth-quarter loss of 49
million euros ($77 million) after an early Easter holiday restrained
business travel. BHP Billiton Ltd. led a rally in raw-material producers after Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
raised its share-price estimate for the world's biggest mining company
by 25% and maintained its ``outperform'' recommendation. BHP shares rose 2.1%. Xstrata Plc, the world's largest exporter of coal used by power stations, added 2.1%.
US stocks closed positive Thursday afternoon, as oil prices
took a break from the recent march higher, allowing investors to scoop
up select stocks.
International Business Machines Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
led gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the government said
first-time unemployment claims decreased by 9,000 last week. Limited
Brands Inc. rallied after the operator of the Victoria's Secret
lingerie chain posted earnings that topped analysts' estimates. Eight
of 10 industry groups in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose as
the benchmark for U.S. equities rebounded from its biggest two-day
tumble since March.
Limited Brands climbed
2.3%. Profit excluding items was 11 cents a share, 3 cents above the
average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The company also
forecast higher annual earnings than it previously projected.
Utility shares gained after NRG Energy Inc. made an unsolicited offer to buy Calpine Corp.
for $9.6 billion in stock. NRG, the second-biggest power producer in
Texas, offered 0.534 share for every Calpine share, or 6.7% above
yesterday's closing prices, as it seeks to become the largest
independent power company in the U.S. NRG lost 4%. Calpine jumped 9.4%.
Dynegy Inc., the owner of power plants in 12 U.S. states, gained for the eight day, rising 2.6 percent to $9.83.
Ford
Motor Company announced it will lower production volume
of large trucks and sport-utility vehicles, while shifting more focus
toward models in-line with consumers' preferences. Ford also trimmed
its profit outlook.Swiss
banking giant UBS announced plans to raise some $15
billion through a rights offering to existing shareholders. Shares
available in the offering will be priced at a 31% discount to
yesterday's closing price. Additionally, UBS finalized the sale of $15
billion of subprime and Alt-A mortgage assets to investment management
outfit BlackRock (BLK 200.32, -0.46).