** US & ASIAN WRAP **
** US MARKETS **
Dow -0,37%; Nasdaq -0,04%; S&P -0,42%; Soxx -1,16%; Russel2k 0,33%; DJAIG
-1,29%; 10yr Bond 0,04%; 10yr Yield 4,84%; Crude future 66,84; Gold 584,55
| Industrials -0,02%| Financials -0,06%| Telecom -0,23%| ConsDisc -0,41%|
ConsStaples -0,47%| Technology -0,53%| Healthcare -0,54%| Materials -0,69%|
Utilities -0,72%| Energy -1,13%
** ASIAN MARKETS **
Nikkei 1,8%; Kospi 1,45%; HSI 1,05%; Taiwan 0,71%; China 1,07%; India 1,5%;
Thailand -0,14%; Australia 0,68%
** US TRADING HEADLINES **
- General Motors May Announce Stake Sale of Its GMAC Unit Today, People Say
- Bush’s Decline in Popularity May Have Come at Worst Time for U.S. Stocks
- Dollar May Decline as ECB, BOJ Increase Rates, Survey of Traders Indicates
- Berkshire’s Buffett Makes $14 Billion Bet That Global Stocks Won’t Plunge
- Schumer, Manzullo Might Find That Higher Yuan Buys China More U.S. Assets
- GM’s U.S. Auto Sales Likely Fell in March, Dragging Industry Into Decline
- M&A Boom Lifts Takeover Fees at UBS, Makes London Cabs Richer at Midnight
- McClatchy May Raise $1.75 Billion by Selling 12 Knight Ridder Newspapers
- Alcatel and Lucent Say They Will Merge, Cutting 10% of Workforce
** Warren Buffett Bet **
Struggling to find acquisitions big enough to boost Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s
returns, is making a $14 billion bet on the global stock market. Berkshire sold
a form of insurance to buyers who wanted protection from a drop in “four major
equity indexes” over the next 15 to 20 years, according to a U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission filing. Instead of buying the individual shares,
Buffett is wagering the indexes, three of which are outside the
U.S., won’t tumble and force Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire to
pay a claim.
** ASIAN HEADLINES **
- Japan’s Business Confidence Drops; Companies Plan to Increase Investment
- Asian Stocks Climb to 16-Year Highs as Honda, Samsung Electronics Advance
- Australian Trade Deficit Narrows to Lowest in Four Years on Record Exports
- Thai Beverage May Raise $1 Billion in Singapore Initial Public Offering
- Daewoo Shipbuilding Receives $772 Million Orders to Build Gas, Oil Tankers
- China’s Premier Wen Jiabao Says Iron Ore Prices Should Be Set By Companies
- South Korea Offers $20 Billion in Baby Bonuses to Keep Economy Expanding