GLOBAL MARKETS

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Steel Dynamics, SMART Modular Technologies, Silicom, Zions Bancorp, and Synthesis Energy Systems. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: China XD Plastics Company, Identive Group, NetEase.com, Netlist, and A-Power Energy Generation Systems.

U.S. stocks suffered a rout after Standard & Poor's cut its outlook on the U.S. government debt, warning that the U.S. fiscal profile may become meaningfully weaker than that of other triple-A-rated countries if policy makers can't tame the budget deficit. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 140.24 points, or 1.14%, to 12201.59, led lower by Bank of America and Caterpillar, which each fell 3.1%.

The Australian share market shrugged off negative sentiment in early trading on Monday, to close slightly higher as the big banks made up for softness in the resources sector. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index had risen 9.8 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 4861.9 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had gained 6.1 points, or 0.12 per cent, to 4945.4 points.

The might euro was the best performing G10 currency in first quarter of 2011. In the past week, however, it has plunged against its G10 counterparts because of headwinds to further ECB rate hikes.

News events drive the financial markets. To trade them profitably, one needs to understand how analysts and the market react to them.

Spot Gold jumped to a new all-time high of $1489 per ounce in Asian trade Monday, edging lower as the Dollar rose on the currency market and global equities began the Easter-shortened week with a 0.5% drop.

Gleacher & Co. expects mobile chip maker Qualcomm to be a primary beneficiary in the 3G/4G growth and will remain the top supplier for integrated chips and extend its leadership position to LTE.

Gold stayed above $1480 per ounce in Asian and European trading, and then experienced a sudden spike $15 upwards to new record prices yet again at the beginning of the New York trading session. Prices take support from worries over euro zone debt and inflation in Asia after China opted to raise reserve requirements again.

The US dollar and Japanese yen, considered two safe-haven currencies, are up on Monday while oil and US stock futures are down modestly.

The Australian stock market fell, to record the first weekly decline after three of gains, as the prospect of further interest rate hikes in China saw investors err on the side of caution.

Analysts expect USD/JPY to fall further, and here are 3 reasons back up that thesis.

Commodities firms in the producer-trader complex (PTC) hold enormous advantages over purely financial traders. This business model, therefore, could be future of the commodities industry, especially on the trading side of it.

Gold jumps to new record highs over $1480 US dollar per ounce on Friday as Asian demand is unstoppable. Silver is holding near its earlier 31-year high at $42.64.

Prices to Buy Silver and gold jumped at the start of Asian trade on Friday, hitting new 31-year and all-time Dollar records respectively, as Beijing reported a surge in China's growth and inflation rates.

A new study shows that 17 percent of the United States’ imported oil for transportation could be replaced by biofuel made from algae.

The market is incredibly fickle, especially for fundamental analysis-driven traders and analysts. The frustrating thing is that what mattered just a few months ago may not mean anything at all today.

Glencore’s planned IPO prices the company at $55 billion. This incredibly high valuation is probably shocking to the many people who have never heard of Glencore before. But $55 billion, as large a figure as that is, doesn’t even begin to describe just how powerful it is.

Caris issued a list of public internet companies with most cash and the companies include Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay and Yahoo.

The interbank silver market [in Asia] is dysfunctional says one Hong Kong dealer's note. Liquidity is getting worse while the price action is getting more exaggerated as a result.

Oppenheimer lowered its profit estimates of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) citing a gloomy PC market.

US stocks ended slightly higher on Wednesday after President Barack Obama detailed his plans for cutting the deficit and the Federal Reserve reported encouraging news on the economy.

US stocks ended slightly higher on Wednesday after President Barack Obama detailed his plans for cutting the deficit and the Federal Reserve reported encouraging news on the economy.

The Australian share market pared early losses to close around 0.2 per cent higher, as investors snapped up bank stocks and other cyclicals with attractive dividend yields.

US Treasuries holders’ ability and willingness to buy more Treasuries or decision to sell existing holdings will determine the long-term interest rates of the US government, which in turn influences the cost of capital for the US private sector.

US stocks are trading mixed in afternoon session on Wednesday as declines from financials and raw-material producers weighed.

Dan Dorrow of Faros Trading continues to expect the Australian dollar to perform well on the strength of Asian economies.

For the first time in history, private investor [Gold] holdings now exceed official-sector holdings, said Philip Klapwijk - executive chairman of precious-metals consultancy GFMS - at a presentation in London's Canary Wharf today, commenting on last year's strong physical Gold Investment demand.

Price of gold will exceed $1600 a troy ounce before year-end on strong growth in investment demand, according to the precious metals research consultancy firm GFMS.

US stocks advanced in early trade on Wednesday as better-than-expected first quarter earnings from JP Morgan buoyed sentiment.