LIVE MARKET UPDATE

Friday 8 March 2013

ASIAN STOCK

Overnight gains in U.S. stocks underpinned Asian shares on Friday, but prices were capped ahead of key U.S. jobs and Chinese trade figures due later in the session, while the dollar hovered near a 3-1/2-year high against the yen.




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U.S. STOCK

U.S. stocks closed modestly higher on Thursday, with the Dow ending at a record for a third straight day as jobless claims data pointed to a pick-up in the labor market’s recovery a day before the closely watched payrolls report.




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DOLLAR

The dollar climbed 0.7 percent to 95.44 yen on trading platform EBS as of 0318 GMT, its highest level against the yen since August 2009.




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EURO

The euro was at $1.3107, not far from a high of $1.3119 set overnight, after Draghi played down the threat of contagion to other euro members stemming from a political stalemate in Italy.




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FTSE

The FTSE 100 closed up 11.52 points, or 0.2 percent, at 6,439.16, having faltered at the 6,460 level – a five year high – for the second day running.




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U.S. TREASURY

Prices for U.S. Treasuries fell on Thursday as a surprise drop in jobless claims added to signs of a strengthening labor market, raising hopes the world’s largest economy was gaining steam.




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