Dow-0,03% S&P-0,21% Nasdaq-0,14% Russell-0,57%
US market closed slightly lower after opening in +ve territory, equities spent the afternoon in a sideways drift and slid into negative territory shortly ahead of the close...energy (+0.3%) outperformed, narrowing its 2015 decline to 1.2% as crude oil soared 3.5% to $53.89/bbl. Strikingly, oil spent the day in a steady climb even as the Dollar Index (97.95, +1.18) jumped 1.2%. Most notably, the greenback rallied 1.1% against the euro, sending the single currency to 1.0815. Volume were wll above average @ 650mil shares...US After Hours MIND +1.7%, HABT +1.6%, PLAY +1.5%, PNR -4.0%, LGF -3.2%, TISI -1.5% following earnings/guidance...Crude below the $53 (-1.9%) this morning, after a multi-week high build in API petroleum inventories. There were also reports that top Iranian officials would travel to Beijing this week to discuss oil projects as Tehran prepares for lifting of western sanctions...In Asia, Hang Seng is a notable outperformer with a catch-up rally after returning from an extended holiday break. Both Hong Kong index and Shanghai Composite hit 7-year highs today, even though the latter fell by as much as 1% later in the afternoon session. While the BOJ maintained its annual pace of growth in monetary base at ¥80T and maintained its economic assessment, board member Kiuchi amended his prior dissent of favoring the pre-October easing in exchange for more specific reduction of annual base growth to ¥45T. Interestingly, the statement said that call was voted down by "majority", not 8-1 margin as his other dissent for more extended timeline toward 2% inflation, and suggesting he may have garnered some support in his position. On inflation, the BOJ also lowered its CPI assessment for the 2nd straight month to 0% from prior view of 0.0-0.5%. Outlook for inflation remains at 0% as well. In notable Chinese press reports, UBS economist warned that upcoming March and Q1 data would be soft, weighed down largely by the ongoing property downturn and weak industrial investment.
Nikkei +0.62% Hang Seng +2.73% Shanghai +0.54%
RUB $55.0380 WTI $53 (-1.82%) EURCHF 1.0454 CHF $0.9636
Eur$ 1.0849 S&P +0.02% EuroStoxx -0.16% Dax -0.11% SMI +0.01%
Macro :
- Dutch Government Must Be More Active as Shareholder: Audit Court
Keep an eye on :
- AF FP : Air France - KLM: March Passengers Down 0.4%
- BALSN SW : Baloise May Consider Acquisitions in Belgium, Luxembourg: Cash
- BBVA SM : Spanish Banks to Boost Profitability, Roldan Tells Expansion
- BEN IM : Benetton Group may sell stake to Uniqlo - Il Sole 24 Ore
- BG/ LN : Shell to Announce Takeover of BG Group Today -->£46b, ie 50% premium vs yest. close (£31b mkt cap)
--> For each BG Share: 383 pence in cash; and 0.4454 Shell B Shares
- BMW GY : BMW to Recall 53,317 X3 SUVs in China for Fuel-Pump Fault
- BPM IM : BPM may announce M&A operations at shareholders' meeting on 11 April
- CBK GY : Commerzbank CEO Proposes Rule for Banks’ Govt Debt Holdings: FAZ
- DAI GY : Mercedes Targets More Than 10% Sales Growth This Year in China
- EOAN GY : EON Said to Appoint Morgan Stanley as Second Adviser for Spinoff
- HSBA LN : HSBC Said in Talks to Sell Assets in Brazil, Mexico: Financiero
- NOVOB DC : NVO: Novo Nordisk announces FDA accepts Tresiba, Ryzodeg resubmi
- PSM GY : Prosieben Also Made Offer for Dailymotion, Orange CEO Says
- RKET GY : Rocket Internet’s Global Fashion Group Raises 32 Million Euros
- RNO FP : France to Buy Maximum 4.7% of Renault for as Much as EU1.2b
- ROG VX : Roche’s Avastin Plus Chemo for Cervical Cancer Approved by EU
- SHP LN : Shire ‘Confident’ in Fighting Hayman After Victory Over Actavis
- SIK VX : Saint-Gobain Extends Pact With Sika’s Burkard Family
- SIK VX : Sika shareholder Schenker-Winkler appeals Zug court's voting rights decision, request for ex parte decision denied
- BCVN SW : Vaudoise 2014 Net Rises 21.5% to CHF153.6m
- VIV FP : Vivendi in Exclusive Talks to Buy 80% of Orange’s Dailymotion
- VIV FP : Vivendi Said to Look at Sky as Potential Target: Reuters {http://reut.rs/1JloCc0}