UNITED STATES

Treasury prices gave back earlier gains on Friday after the Federal Reserve announced a plan to boost loans to banks, offsetting early news that the U.S. lost more jobs than expected in February.

Gold futures ended a volatile trading session with a modest loss Friday after the government reported the biggest drop in nonfarm payrolls in five years, signaling the U.S. economy might already be in a recession.

Crude oil prices hit a new record in New York above $106 on concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve will add more cuts on interest rates.

Japan stocks plunged more than 3 per cent because of increasing concern for the U.S. housing market. Investors also worried for Japanese steelmakers stocks that are declining these days.

Soybeans declined on Friday, posting the highest loss since July 2005, after China canceled some contracts for buying soybean oil.

Cotton posted the second straight decline on Friday on concerns that U.S. recession may reduce demand, and on signs that textile mills are reducing purchases.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Friday on news of the biggest drop in nonfarm payrolls in nearly five years while semiconductor and financial shares gained. Chip maker Intel Corp rose 1.9 percent to $20.25 after falling earlier in the week after it cut its quarterly gross margin forecast, helping to boost the tech-heavy Nasdaq index. Both the Dow Jones and Standard &Poor's Index were in the red in morning trading.

Soybeans declined on Thursday amid speculations that harvests for March and April in Brazil and Argentine may reduce demand for U.S. exports.

Walt Disney Co. said Thursday it will team up with several Japanese studios to produce animated features targeting Asian markets as it moves to adapt to regional tastes, the company said.

Copper futures fell from a record high on Thursday as investors locked in profits and a report of rising U.S. mortgage foreclosures raised concerns of weakinging demand.

The dollar found no reprieve in the Thursday session ahead of tomorrow’s closely watched February labor report – stumbling to fresh all-time lows against the euro just shy of the 1.54-mark and a 3-year low versus the yen at 102.56.

Crude oil futures prices dropped as traders sold contracts to gain profits from a record high near $106. Other investors bought oil to compensate for a falling dollar.

The dollar fell to a fresh low versus the euro on Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England decided to key their benchmark interest steady.

Gold futures made a steep tumble on Thursday after hitting a record high over $995 an ounce in the previous session, as traders cashed in gains.

U.S. stocks dropped to a six-week low Thursday on renewed concern about the credit markets after U.S. home foreclosures rose to a record, increasing market worries about the sagging economy.

Gold futures closed with strong gains, after briefly soaring to a new record just below $1,000 an ounce after the dollar tumbled lower and crude oil continued to rally, boosting the metal's appeal as hedge against inflation.

Bill Gates lost the top position as the richest man to Warren Buffet an American investor who runs Berkshire Hathaway stock.

Corn increased on Wednesday amid speculations that investors will boost holdings of commodities to overcome inflation following the gain of crude oil and other commodities.

U.S. copper rallied more than 4 percent today as the dollar extended its decline against the euro on worries about the health of the economy in the United States.

Hollywood saw record sales in the U.S. and abroad in 2007, while noting that the Internet is just short of becoming as influential as television and radio as a marketing medium.

U.S. crude prices rose to a record above $104 today after OPEC held oil production steady at a meeting in Vienna and U.S. fuel inventories declined for the first time in eight weeks.