- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Crude oil closed at yet another record high even the latest OPEC report suggested a decline in demand in the second quarter. Crude oil closed near $114 a barrel. Exxon Mobil and Chevron led the gainers in the oil complex stocks but refiners Valero and Tessoro took another hit. Several regional banks including Regions Financials, U.S. Bancorp, M&T Bank, reported earnings and stake sales in recently listed credit card processor Visa.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Crude oil prices reached another record intra-day high as investors pile in looking for higher returns. Speculators and commodities investors are driving crude oil prices higher as the Fed keeps lowering interest rate. The Fed and the U.S. Treasury talks about strong dollar but have done little to save the dollar. U.S. dollar has fallen 60% against the euro in the last four years. Wheat led commodities with a rise of 120% followed by soybean with 94% and crude oil with 68% in the last year.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Infosys, the second largest software exporter reported first quarter income rise of 19% and the company expects higher revenue in the medium term. The earnings report lifted market averages. In Mumbai trading, the 30-share BSE Sensex gained 2.2% or 346.02 at 16,153.66. In the broader markets, the National Stock Market rose 2.1% or 101.85 at 4879.65.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Record prices in metals and crude oil lifted select stocks and brader market averages but inflation fears persisted in the market. In Hong Kong trading, Hang Seng Index rose 0.40% or 90 to 23,901.33. In Shanghai trading, CSI 300 Index rose 1.3% or 46 to 3,583.30. China expects steel demand to rise 10% to 520 million tons and domestic suppliers are expected to meet almost all the demand. Dubai based fund expects to set up a fund to invest $1 billion in China.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Delta and Northwest agreed to merge after months of discussions that almost floundered on opposition from pilots and other unions at Northwest. The merger of two airlines with few routes overlapping is likely to pass regulatory approval as industry consolidates in the face of rising oil prices and weak pricing power. The merged airlines will operate as Delta have global headquarter in Atlanta and current Delta executives will dominate the board and executive positions after the merger.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 15 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Stocks in Japan and Asia rebounded on rising energy and metals prices. In Tokyo trading Nikkei 225 increased 0.6% or 73 to 12,990, and the broader Topix Index rose 0.8% to 1,255.97.Corporate bankruptcy filing increased 18% to 11,333 for the year ending in March. New condominiums put up for sale in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March fell for the seventh straight month by 17.8% from a year ago to 4,490 units.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
European markets fell across the region on new worries related to the banking sector. Wachovia Corp, the fourth largest bank in the U.S., reported $2 billion in asset write down and forced to raise $7 billion. Banks in Germany, France, and UK fell. Royal Philips reported earnings of 219 million euros, lower than expectations. Volkswagen first quarter sales increased 7% on sharp rise in sales in China and Brazil. Berlusconi leads in the race to be the next Prime Minister.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Wachovia Corp reported quarterly loss in the first quarter, wrote down its assets by $2 billion, cut its dividend by 41% and will raise $7 billion in fresh capital. The news sent market averages and banking sector stocks lower. In the commodities market, sugar, crude oil and gasoline increased, lifting stocks in the energy sector. Petrobras, in Brazil, surged on an oil field find. Berlusconi returned to govern Italy, for the third time.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
ANZ launches an internal inquiry to review its securities lending business and its relationship with the collapsed Opes prime broker.
Virgin Blue plunged 22% to a record low after its controlling shareholder Toll Holdings Ltd decided not to sell its stake on lack of investor interest. Virgin Blue last week slashed its net income forecast to less than $140 million for the year ending in June 30, down from $216 million a year earlier. Of the ASX 200 index stocks, Toll Holdings Ltd led decliners.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
The ONS reported that the output price index for domestic sales of manufactured products rose 6.2% in the year to March, compared with the rise of 5.9% in the year to February. The rising prices at producer level dragged stocks sharply lower. FTSE 100 index stocks fell 1.08% or 63.9 to 5,831.60. Whitbread led advancers in the FTSE 100 index shares with a rise of 2.4% followed by increases in SABMiller of 1.7% and in HBOS of 1.2%. Friends Provident and Carphone Warehouse led decliners.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
China''s foreign currency reserves jumped to $1.68 trillion at the end of the first quarter, 40% rise from a year ago. The sharp rise in foreign reserves is fueling inflation and attracting speculative capital to China. Investors have to come to believe that China will have to strengthen its currency against dollar and increase interest rate to slow down economic expansion. In Hong Kong trading the Hang Seng Index fell 3.47% or 856.59 at 23,811.20.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
U.S. stocks edged lower after Wachovia cut its dividend by 41% and proposed to raise as much as $7 billion through convertible preferred stock offering. Wachovia also reported a loss in the first quarter and asset write down of $2 billion. UK media reports suggested that Citigroup is likely to write down assets of $12 billion and Merrill Lynch of $3 billion. Blockbuster proposed $1 billion in cash buyout for Circuit City.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 14 Apr, 2008
- New York City
Stocks in Japan and Asia fell after the release of world economic outlook from a meeting of policy makers at the IMF and World Bank. The gloomy near term outlook added to the rising loss estimates at Citigroup and Merrill Lynch. Media reports in the UK suggested that two financial firms are likely to report losses in the quarter and a write-down of $15 billion. Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo fell 3% and Topix declined 2.5%.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 11 Apr, 2008
- New York City
European industrial stocks including Siemens and Philips fell after General Electric in the U.S. missed its earnings target. Stock market averages in the region fell more than 1% before the U.S. market close. U.S. averages fell 2% at close. Crude oil and base metals traded at elevated levels. Ahead of G7 meeting in Washington politicians worried about the strength in euro.
- 123jump.com Staff
- 11 Apr, 2008
- New York City
U.S. stocks fell sharply after General Electric surprised investors with an earnings miss and lowered expectations for the second quarter. The sharp fall in investments in finance unit in the last two weeks in March hurt the earnings. Frontier Air filed for bankruptcy protection. Consumer sentiment fell to 63.2 in April, weakest read since 1982, higher energy and food prices. Genentech reported first quarter profit rise of 2% but sales of Avastin missed the target.