World Markers Weaken; Gloomier Outlooks

123jump.com Staff
19 Jan, 2009
New York City

The markets in the U.S. were closed. Royal Bank of Scotland plunged after the UK Treasury converted its preferred stocks to common stocks. Japan property sales plunged. Toyota cut its production on weak demands in the U.S. and Japan.

[R]5:00PM New York – 11:00PM Frankfurt, 4:00AM Sydney – The markets in the U.S. were closed. Royal Bank of Scotland plunged after the UK Treasury converted its preferred stocks to common stocks. Japan property sales plunged. Toyota cut its production on weak demands in the U.S. and Japan.[/R]

American Markets Reviews

U.S. markets were closed today.

In South American trading Brazil Bovespa Index increased 1.3% or 513.22 to 38,828.32 and Mexico Bolsa Index edged higher 0.3% or 68.02 to 20,393.41.

Argentina Merval Index increased 0.96%, Chile Stock Market Select Index increased 0.13%, Peru increased 1% and Colombia increased 0.7%. Venezuela added 0.3%.

Asian Markets Review

The Nikkei 225 Index in Tokyo closed higher 26.70 or 0.32% to 8,256.85, Hang Seng index in Hong Kong increased 84.48 or 0.64% closed to 13,339.99 CSI 300 index in China higher 22.25 or 1.12% closed to 2,012.46. ASX 200 index in Australia increased 38.40 or 1.08% closed to 3,589.30. The KL Composite index in Malaysia lower 6.19 or 0.69% closed to 890.28.

The Kospi Index in South Korea increased 15.45 or 1.36% to close at 1,150.65. SET index in Thailand closed higher 0.51 or 0.12% to 435.71 and JSE Index in Indonesia increased 13.19 or 0.97% closed to 1,350.69. The Sensex index in India increased 5.98 or 0.06% closed to 9,329.57.

Europe Markets Review

In London FTSE 100 Index traded higher 76.83 or 1.85% to 4,223.89, in Paris CAC 40 Index increased 40.77 or 1.35% to 3,057.52 and in Frankfurt DAX index traded higher 70.64 or 1.62% to 4,436.92. In Zurich trading SMI increased 32.27 or 0.59% to 5,467.81.

Commodities, Bonds and Currencies

Yields on 10-year bond were unchanged to 2.32% and on 30-year bonds were unchanged to 2.87% in Friday. Bond markets were closed today.

The U.S. dollar dropped to $1.3103 to a euro and against the Japanese yen rose to 90.75 yen.

Immediate futures prices of Texas crude oil decreased to $1.91 to $34.60 a barrel, for natural gas decrease 9 cents to $4.71 per mbtu and gasoline prices decreased 3.27 cents to 113.45 cents a gallon.

Futures markets were closed today. On Friday, futures of corn increased 25.75 cent to $3.91, soybean increased 25.50 cents to $10.20, sugar increased 0.30 cents to 12.26 a pound and wheat increased 9.50 cent to $5.78 a bushel.

In metals trading, copper prices rose 3.35 cents to $1.55 a pound, gold decreased $3.40 to $836.50 per ounce and silver decreased 3 cents to $11.85.