GLOBAL MARKETS

South Africa's rand was steady against the dollar in early Friday trade, with healthy flows to the stock market balancing out central bank dollar-buying, dealers said.

The Kenyan shilling firmed against the dollar on Friday after the greenback lost ground against major hard currencies, increasing investors' appetite for riskier assets.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Friday after weak retail sales and a mixed reaction to JPMorgan Chase & Co's quarterly earnings.

The Ugandan shilling strengthened marginally on Friday, supported by central bank intervention after it hit a record low against the dollar, but traders said the currency's reprieve could be short-lived.

An improving global economy, solid corporate earnings and even easing fears about euro zone debt have been more than enough to rationalise the rising hunger for riskier assets now prevalent on financial markets.

High-profile banking analyst Richard Bove said the U.S. banking sector is entering into a “golden age.” The financial strategist at Rochdale Securities explains that banks have so flush cash on their balance sheets that corporate earnings will grow by 20 percent annually over the next few years.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Corinthian Colleges, ICAgen, KLA-Tencor, and Applied Materials. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Coinstar, Kandi Technologies, Hasbro, ARM Holdings, and Qiagen.

The Euro extended its rally on the currency markets, spiking to a 4-week high vs. the Dollar of $1.3450 before easing back. Thus, Gold priced in Euros dropped almost 5% from Monday's near-record high.

US futures are set to open lower on Friday after a disappointing jobless claims data, which could weigh on sentiment.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Sterling Bancshares, Acorda Therapeutics, RadNet, and Move. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Coinstar, Seahawk Drilling, Telestone Technologies, Shuffle Master, and SORL Auto Parts.

Taiwan stocks opened up 0.11 percent on Friday, with semiconductors trading flat even though Intel Corp

Hong Kong stocks are set to ease on Friday morning as investors take profits after three days of strong gains, and shares of materials-related companies could decline due to falling commodity prices.

Coal freight lines could start reopening as early as Thursday in Australia's flooded Queensland coalfields as waters recede, rail officials said, prompting predictions of a faster-than-expected start to a recovery in exports.

Gold fell on Thursday, snapping three sessions of gains as safe-haven buying subsided after successful European bond sales and a more positive economic outlook from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Stocks edged down on a disappointing labor market data

Bullish earnings and dividend expectations pushed Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) (IQ) to a 28-month high on Thursday, helping Doha's Index .QSI reach a similar milestone.

At least 10 asset managers are preparing to launch yuan-denominated funds in Hong Kong to tap robust overseas demand for yuan assets amid expectations of faster yuan appreciation and broader investment channels, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Uganda's shilling looks set to plumb new record lows against the dollar over the next week due to soaring foreign exchange demand from the oil sector, while Kenya's unit should strengthen slightly.

The Kenyan shilling KES= edged up against the dollar on the back of higher coffee and tea prices at auctions this week, but signs of a drought in the country could limit the currency's gains, traders said on Thursday.

South African blue-chip stocks booked another 2-1/2-year closing high on Thursday, rising 0.6 percent as shares of Anglo Platinum and other resource companies continued their recent run.

Chinese banks are plagued by non-performing loans because their own financial system is heavily distorted.

U.S. stocks opened lower after jobs data disappointed investors.

Futures on major U.S. indices fell after the weekly jobless claims data came in worse than analyst expectations.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: EXFO, Kandi Technologies, Strategic Diagnostics, Micron Technology, and NeurogesX. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: SemiLEDs, DragonWave, Infosys Technologies, Veeco Instruments, and Aixtron.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: EXFO, Sify Technologies, Mercury Computer Systems, Umpqua Holdings, and National CineMedia. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: DragonWave, optionsXpress Holdings, Geron, PostRock Energy, and American Capital Agency.

Hong Kong stocks are likely to rise further on Thursday with traders expecting momentum to continue after the benchmark convincingly broke through short-term chart resistance on high volumes.

Following are news items and media reports that may affect the Taiwan stock market. Double click on the number in [] to read the stories.

Stock rallied as banks/financials stocks pushed higher following an upgrade of the sector by Wells Fargo and a successful bond offering in Portugal.

Shares of chip designer NVIDIA Corp. (Nasdaq: NVDA) are surging today, in what appears to be a delayed reaction to a series of good news surrounding the company.