** MORNING WRAP **
February 23rd, 2007** US MARKETS **
Dow -0,41%; Nasdaq 0,26%; S&P -0,09%; Soxx 2,76%; Russel2k 0,26%; DJAIG 1,38%;
10yr Bond -0,04%; 10yr Yield 4,73%
| Energy 0,95%| Technology 0,37%| Utilities 0,28%| Telecom 0,14%| Financials
-0,24%| Healthcare -0,29%| ConsDisc -0,32%| Materials -0,39%| ConsStaples
-0,43%| Industrials -0,67%
- Buffett to Keep PetroChina Stake, Rejects Criticism Over Sudan Operations
- Shell, Repsol, Total Defy U.S. Warnings to Seek Deals for Iranian Oil, Gas
- YouTube, Facebook Spark Copycats, Bubble Anxiety as Web 2.0 Grips Valley
** ASIAN MARKETS **
Nikkei 0,44%; Kospi 0,31%; HSI -0,78%; Taiwan 0,94%; China 0,18%; India -1,04%;
Thailand 0,34%; Australia 0,3%
- Sanyo Electric Accounting Investigated by Japan Regulators; Shares Tumble
- Coles to Consider Sale Four Months After Rejecting $14.4 Billion Buyout
- Origin Rejects AGL’s `Nil Premium’ Merger, Says Offer Undervalues Company
- Rio to Invest $2 Billion in Indonesian Nickel Project, Government Says
- Nissan Motor Joins Renault, Mahindra in Car Venture in India, People Say
- Asian Stocks Extend Record High; BHP, Sumitomo Metal Climb on Metals, Oil
- Japan’s Bond Investors Reduce Inflation Estimates on Decline in Oil Prices
- Sri Lanka Raises Key Interest Rate to 10.5 Percent to Help Curb Inflation
- Indian Railways May Keep Charges on Hold for Third Year, Curbing Inflation
** EUROPE: IN PLAY TODAY **
- RWE AG, Germany’s largest power producer by eneration capacity, Friday said
2006 net profit soared more than 72%, due ainly to special gains from asset
disposals and a tax rebate. The Essen-based utility also said it intends to
further increase sales and rojected 10% growth for operating profit in 2007.
However, net profit will ecrease substantially compared to 2006, which was
boosted by special items, RWE said.
In the medium-term RWE intends to increase organic operating profit by an
verage of 5% per year, the company said. Full-year 2006 net profit climbed to
EUR3.85 billion from EUR2.23 billion a year earlier, slightly exceeding
analysts’ forecasts of EUR3.57 billion.
- Lafarge SA, the world’s largest cement maker, said annual profit rose 25
percent after it expanded in China and bought full control of its North American
unit. Net income advanced to 1.37 billion euros ($1.8 billion) from 1.1 billion
euros, the Paris-based company said today in a statement. Analysts in a
Bloomberg survey predicted profit of 1.35 billion euros.
- CARREFOUR CUT TO `HOLD’ FROM `BUY’ AT DEUTSCHE BANK
- TITAN CEMENT CUT TO `HOLD’ FROM `BUY’ AT CITIGROUP
- CENTRICA CUT TO `HOLD’ FROM `BUY’ AT CITIGROUP
- AXEL SPRINGER RATED NEW `EQUAL-WEIGHT’ AT LEHMAN
- HMV RATED NEW `EQUAL WEIGHT’ AT LEHMAN
- RENTOKIL UPGRADED TO `NEUTRAL’ FROM `REDUCE’ AT UBS
- ROLLS-ROYCE CUT TO `REDUCE’ VS. `NEUTRAL’ AT UBS
- CAPITA GROUP CUT TO `NEUTRAL’ FROM `BUY’ AT UBS