ECONOMY & MARKETS

HK stocks seen rangebound despite earnings results

HK stocks seen rangebound despite earnings results

Hong Kong stocks may receive respite from good corporate results on Friday, but will remain under pressure and will likely trade in a narrow range, weighed down by concerns about volatile oil prices and ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.

World Market Overview Feb 25

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U.S. stock markets ended mixed in a volatile session on Thursday as oil prices eased and encouraging job data helped the market to stabilize in the final hours.
US Dollar BIll Seen

US Dollar/Treasury No Longer Safe-Haven Asset?

The US dollar has traditionally been a safe-haven asset, meaning whenever people are afraid, they sell ‘risky’ assets and flee to the safety of the US dollar. However, starting the week of February 21, 2011, this pattern has been broken.
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China sees growth risk, not inflation, in oil surge

China sees growth risk, not inflation, in oil surge

Soaring oil prices will have little impact on Chinese consumer inflation, but will place considerable cost pressure on the country's manufacturers, a government adviser and ministry official said on Thursday.
Biogen Idec

Biogen Idec Stock Can Appreciate to Mid $70s: Analyst

Biogen Idec stock price can appreciate to the mid $70s based on five areas of potential upside, according to RBC Capital Markets. The brokerage upgraded its rating on shares of the biotechnology company to outperform from sector perform and increased its price target to $75 from $60.
Newly finished development of homes for sale, built by home builder KB Homes, are pictured in Carlsbad

New home sales drop in January

New home sales dropped more than expected in January, almost erasing the gains witnessed in December. The Commerce Department said new-home sales fell to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 284,000 (well below expectations of 300,000) and down 12.6 percent from the revised figure of 325,000 recorded in December.

Jobless claims fell last week

Initial jobless claims applications dropped to 391,000 for the week ended February 19, down from 413,000 in the previous week, according to the Labor Department, a sign that the labor market is finally showing some signs of strength,
earthquake

New Zealand Earthquake: Greater Loss than September?

Credit Suisse said the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday appears to have caused more physical damage than the larger (7.1 magnitude) quake that hit the South Island city on September 4.
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Gold steadies, inflation fears offer support

Gold steadied near seven-week highs on Thursday, as investor fears over inflation stemming from the spike in crude oil were partially offset by pockets of profit-taking after the market's 6 percent rise this month.

iPad 2 May Repeat Success Of iPad With New Features

Apple Inc., which revolutionized the tablet market with its launch of iPad in April 2010, will be reportedly launching its new iPad 2 at an event in San Francisco, California on March 2 with a launch date on early April.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

US futures point to lower opening

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening on Thursday as oil prices continued surge due to continued turmoil and violence in Libya.
HK stocks may open lower as oil prices hit record

HK stocks may open lower as oil prices hit record

Hong Kong stocks are expected to open lower on Thursday, pressured by a surge in oil prices on fears turmoil in Libya could spread to other oil exporters in the region, and declines in global markets.
A pedestrian walks past the NASDAQ building in New York City

Nasdaq mulls NYSE bid in exchange deal dash

Nasdaq OMX Group Inc could launch a rival bid for NYSE Euronext to avoid being left on the sidelines, a source said, as traditional exchanges race to merge to see off upstart electronic rivals.

Namibia cbank holds rates, sees quicker growth

Namibia's central bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at 6.0 percent on Wednesday, but said economic growth is likely to be better than previously expected as the economy recovers from a downturn.
Fuel

Libyan oil output down by as much as a quarter

As much as a quarter of OPEC member Libya's oil output has been shut down, Reuters calculations showed on Wednesday, as unrest prompted oil firms to warn of production cuts in Africa's third-largest producer.

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