Currencies
- EUR/USD The euro increased against the dollar after a report showed France’s economy slowed down and as Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc slashed its forecast for the common currency.
- France’s statistics office confirmed today that gross domestic product was unchanged in the second quarter from the preceding period..
- The euro was trading at $1.3577 around 7 a.m. London time.
- USD/JPY The yen gained against the dollar before a government report that economists say will show orders for U.S. durable goods decreased, bolstering demand for the Japanese currency as a haven.
- The Japanese currency advanced 0.3 percent to 76.55 per dollar.
- USD/CHF The Swiss franc fell against the dollar as data showed the country’s consumer demand dropped to the lowest in almost two years in August.
- The franc weakened to 89.92 centimes per dollar around 7:30 a.m. London time.
Commodities
- Gold futures gained as commodities and equities rallied amid optimism that European leaders will take steps to resolve the region’s debt crisis.
- Gold futures for December delivery gained $57.70, or 3.6 percent, to settle at $1,652.50 an ounce at 1:33 p.m. on the Comex in New York.
- Oil fell in New York as investors speculated reports will show slowing global growth that may reduce fuel demand amid rising U.S. supplies.
- U.S. gasoline stockpiles rose the most in five weeks, according to the American Petroleum Institute.
- Crude for November delivery slid as much as $1.59 to $82.86 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $83.07 at 3:14 p.m. Sydney time.
Equities
- US Stocks rose after Greece made progress in meeting requirements for more international aid and Germany vowed continued support for the country.
- The S&P 500 increased 1.1 percent to 1,175.38 at 4 p.m. New York time.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 146.83 points, or 1.3 percent, to 11,190.69 yesterday.
- European stocks surged yesterday, as the prospect of a beefed-up euro-zone bailout facility underpinned sentiment.
- The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index added 4% to 5294.05.
- France’s CAC-40 index ended up 5.7% at 3023.38 and Germany’s DAX advanced 5.3% to 5628.44.
- Asian stocks markets were modestly higher Wednesday, as investors remained cautious amid the absence of a clear plan to resolve the euro-zone debt crisis.
- Daikin Industries Ltd. (6367) climbed 3.6 percent after boosting its full-year operating profit forecast on China demand.
- The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.2 percent to 113.69 as of 2:20 p.m. in Tokyo.
- Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average was up 0.2
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.7% while The Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.2%.
Sources: Bloomberg, FT
