Stock market fixing:
Nikkei 225 +208.34 +1.6%
13 367.79
Topix +21.35 +1.7% 1 302.99
DAX 30 +61.32 +0.96% 6,460.12
САС 40 +80.06
+1.85% 4,400.55
FTSE 100 -40.00 -0.75% 5,312.60
Dow +186.13 +1.63% 11,583.69
Nasdaq +10.10 +0.44% 2,329.72
S&P +21.06 +1.67% 1,284.26
10YR +0.0400 +0.010% 4.048%
NYMEX Crude Oil +4.58 +3.75% 126.77
Gold -14.10 -1.52% 912.30
Japanese stocks rose the most in a week after Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. beat
profit estimates and oil dropped to a 12-week low, cutting costs for
manufacturers.
Matsushita, the maker of
Panasonic-brand products, soared the most in three months after first-quarter
earnings surged on television sales. Matsushita surged 5.5%, the most since
April 30. The company said yesterday net income rose 86% to 73 billion yen
($679 million) in the three months ended June 30, beating the median estimate
of analysts.
Nidec Corp., the world's biggest
maker of motors for computer hard-disk drives, posted its biggest gain in a
year as profit rose more than a third. Nidec rallied 9.9%, the sharpest jump
since July 2007, after posting a 36% gain in first-quarter profit as sales
rose.
Bridgestone Corp., the world's
largest tiremaker by sales, advanced as oil retreated. Bridgestone advanced 2.2%.
Meanwhile, Sony Corp., the maker of
the PlayStation 3 game console, lost 2.9% after lowering its net income
forecast by 17% as the earnings outlook weakens for its handset, television and
camera divisions.
European stocks rose the most in a week after Siemens AG, ArcelorMittal and Deutsche
Postbank AG reported better-than-estimated earnings.
Siemens, Europe's
largest engineering company, had its steepest advance in four months after
orders for power plants and generator upgrades boosted profit. Siemens jumped
5.8% as net income through June 30 was 1.37 billion euros ($2.1 billion),
topping the 967 million-euro profit predicted by analysts.
ArcelorMittal jumped the most since
January as earnings at the world's biggest steelmaker more than doubled. The
shares added 8.2%.
Deutsche Postbank, Germany's largest consumer bank by
clients, gained after income from lending topped analysts' projections.
ThyssenKrupp gained 7.8%. Merrill
Lynch lifted its recommendation on the shares to ``buy'' from ``neutral,''
saying Germany's
largest steelmaker may raise its full-year earnings forecast.
In Europe,
confidence in the outlook for the
economy fell the most since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. An index
measuring sentiment in the euro area slipped to 89.5 in July, more than
economists forecast, the European Commission in Brussels said. A separate report showed
retail sales declined.
Dow surges more than 150 points as stocks get an early boost from a surprise
jobs report, a mortgage relief bill and an extension of the Fed's emergency
loan program.
The U.S. private sector added a
seasonally adjusted 9,000 jobs during the month of July, according to
Wednesday's ADP employment report. That was unexpected; economists had forecast
a 60,000-job decline. July marked a significant improvement over June's
numbers, when the private sector shed a revised 77,000 jobs.
The ADP payrolls survey came two days ahead of the more closely watched
employment report from the U.S. Labor Department, which is due out Friday.
After initially threatening to veto the bill, President Bush on Wednesday
signed a sweeping measure to offer affordable government-backed mortgages to
homeowners at risk of foreclosure. The law will also bolster
government-sponsored mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a
temporary rescue plan and stricter regulation. Congress approved the bill last
week.
The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it is extending its emergency borrowing
program to assist Wall Street banks with liquidity during the credit crisis.
The plan was extended until Jan. 30. The U.S. central bank originally said
the plan, which began in March, would end in mid-September.
GPS navigation device maker Garmin reported quarterly earnings Wednesday that
rose 20%, but the company offered tepid guidance.