Europe Erases Early Gains

Ivaylo
16 Aug, 2006
Frankfurt

The fall came despite encouraging overnight gains on U.S. markets and strong trading in Asia, especially Japan closing above 16,000 for the first time since May and boosting domestic and export stocks. On a relatively quiet day for European corporate earnings, US consumer price inflation data due to be released later in the session could provide further clues as to whether US interest rates have peaked.

[R]6:30AM European markets can't hold on to earlier gains.[/R]
Europe was lower by mid-morning. The U.K. FTSE 100 index lost 0.1% at 5,892, while the German Dax lost 5.3 points, or 0.1%, at 5,770.98 and the French CAC 40 was almost flat, 0.8 points lower at 5,114.18. European corporate movers included German chemicals group Lanxess advancing 1.4% after posting a forecast-beating second-quarter profit rise. On the downside, U.K. nuclear energy group British Energy lost 3.7% after posting sharply higher profit figures but lower output.

Also, Swiss medical device maker Synthes shed 2.1% following its statement that its half-year net profit increased 8.3% to $243.3 million, while sales rose 13.8% to $1.17 billion. Also, Dutch bank ABN Amro advanced 0.8% after rival Dutch bank ING upgraded it to buy from hold, on expectations of more restructuring at its wholesale arm.

Light sweet crude oil for September delivery dropped 7 cents to $72.98 a barrel in electronic trading on the NYME. October Brent at London's ICE Futures exchange, which moves to the front month from Thursday, lost 18 cents to $73.59 a barrel. The euro rose slightly against the U.S. dollar Wednesday, trading in a narrow range as market participants awaited U.S. consumer price data later in the day. The dollar advanced slightly against the British pound, which slipped to $1.8922 from $1.8936 the evening before, and fell against the Japanese yen, to 116.09 yen from 116.12 the day before.

[R]5:30AM Gold fell Tuesday on Low Inflation and Ceasefire.[/R]
December gold futures ended $6.40 lower at $632.90 a troy ounce. September silver contract finished 7.5 cents lower at $12.085 an ounce. October platinum settled up $8.10 at $1,241.40 an ounce. September palladium closed up $6.40 at $324.70 an ounce. September copper moved down 0.95 cent at $3.5275 per pound.

September light, sweet crude oil settled down 48 cents at $73.05 a barrel. September gasoline settled up 0.11 cent at $1.9916 a gallon. September natural gas finished down 5.2 cents at $6.861 per million British thermal units. On the New York Board of Trade, September Arabica coffee ended 2.10 cent higher at $1.0285 a pound. Futures on raw sugar in foreign ports for October finished 0.29 cent higher at 12.79 cents a pound.