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Copyright 2008 Reuters en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 06:24:30 -0400 5 /resources/images/mobile/small/logo.png 120 35 http://mobile.reuters.com/category/eurMktRpt?irpc=930 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E30VQ20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt * FTSEurofirst 300 down 0.3 pct, Euro STOXX 50 down 0.1 pct Wed, 22 May 2013 04:27:40 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E30VQ20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E30OY20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - European shares steadied near multi-year highs on Wednesday, as caution ahead of testimony from the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve later in the day tempered the equity rally. Wed, 22 May 2013 03:10:10 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E30OY20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E308P20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt * Adds further detail, analyst comment, company news items PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - European stocks are seen mixed on Wednesday, with the market's month-long rally taking a breather as investors await clues from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on the central bank's stimulus measures before increasing their exposure to equities. At 0619 GMT, futures for Euro STOXX 50 were up 0.11 percent, for UK's FTSE 100 up 0.18 percent, for Germany's DAX up 0.08 percent and for France's CAC down 0.1 percent. European shares stalled around multi-year peaks on Tuesday, held back by worries over the outlook for the Fed's bond buyback programme following recent comments from Fed members. After the European close on Tuesday, however, two senior Fed officials played down the chances the central bank will soon signal a readiness to trim its bond buying programme, sparking gains on Wall Street. New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley and St. Louis Fed chief James Bullard, both of whom will vote at the Fed's June 18-19 policy meeting, made clear further economic progress was needed before they would support curtailing bond purchases. "While Dudley's dovish comments weren't that much of a surprise, Bullard's overly dovish tone was, and his robust defence of the merits of QE was taken as a sign that maybe markets are expecting far too much from this afternoon's Fed minutes, as well as Bernanke's testimony to Congress," Michael Hewson, senior market analyst at CMC Markets, wrote in a note. Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's April 30-May 1 policy meeting will be released at 1800 GMT. The euro zone's blue chip Euro STOXX 50 index has surged 11 percent since mid-April, reaching a near-two year high, lifted mostly by massive central bank liquidity. In Japan on Wednesday, the country's central bank kept policy steady and upgraded its assessment of the economy, saying it "has started picking up," as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's programme of aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus has boosted sentiment while a weaker yen has halted a decline in exports. The sharp month-long rally has propelled the Euro STOXX 50's valuation ratio to levels not seen since early 2010, with the benchmark trading at 11.4 times expected earnings in the next 12 months, above a 10-year average price-to-earnings ratio of 11, data from Thomson Reuters Datastream shows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0620 GMT: LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1,669.16 0.17 % 2.87 NIKKEI 15,627.26 1.6 % 246.24 MSCI ASIA EX-JP 561.71 -0.08 % -0.47 EUR/USD 1.2911 0.05 % 0.0006 USD/JPY 102.57 0.11 % 0.1100 10-YR US TSY YLD 1.933 -- 0.00 10-YR BUND YLD 1.388 -- -0.01 SPOT GOLD $1,377.90 0.18 % $2.46 US CRUDE $95.77 -0.43 % -0.41 > GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks cheered by Fed reassurance > Dow, S&P end at records on Fed officials' reassurance > Nikkei climbs 1.6 pct to 5-1/2-yr high on BOJ optimism, Sony surges > TREASURIES-Bonds supported after dovish Fed comments > Dollar treads water as investors hold breath for Bernanke testimony > PRECIOUS-Gold gains on China demand, hopes of US stimulus continuing > METALS-LME copper near 2-week top on hints Fed stimulus will stay > Brent dips further below $104 on nerves over summer demand COMPANY NEWS: PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN PSA Peugeot Citroen plans to close a research and administrative site near Paris and transfer its 660 workers to other plants as part of the French carmaker's cost-cutting plans, according to an internal document seen by Reuters. EDF The French utility has entered exclusive talks to sell its 49 percent stake in Slovakia's No. 2 electricity distributor Stredoslovenska Energetika (SSE) to Czech energy company EPH, it said on Tuesday. FRANCE TELECOM The group to invest between 30 and 50 million euros ($64 million) in its video-sharing website Dailymotion and begin a fresh search for a partner in the autumn, its chief executive said on Tuesday. TELEFONICA The telecoms giant has put on hold plans to publicly list its Latin American unit, a senior executive said late on Tuesday at the Reuters Latin America Investment Summit. But an IPO could be ready with a few months if needed, he said. SANOFI A new type of asthma drug meant to attack the underlying causes of the respiratory disease slashed episodes by 87 percent in a mid-stage trial, making it a potential game changer for patients with moderate to severe disease, researchers said on Tuesday. Dupilumab is an injectable treatment being developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and drugmaker Sanofi. UBS UBS lost a bid Tuesday to dismiss a whistle-blower lawsuit by a former commercial mortgage-backed securities strategist who said he was fired for refusing to publish misleading research reports. ROCHE Roche Holding AG teamed up with Sigma-Aldrich Corp to make an unsuccessful bid for Life Technologies Corp earlier this year, people familiar with the matter said. TELECOM ITALIA The Italian phone company denied on Tuesday that a company break-up was under consideration. Earlier on Tuesday three sources told Reuters Telecom Italia was mulling a spinoff of its mobile unit along with its fixed-line network from the rest of the company to bring new investors on board. Wed, 22 May 2013 02:28:27 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E308P20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSP6N0CI01C20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - European stock index futures pointed to a mixed open on Wednesday, with the market's month-long rally taking a breather ahead of U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before Congress. Wed, 22 May 2013 02:06:13 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSP6N0CI01C20130522?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E239J20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares stalled around multi-year peaks on Tuesday, bolstered by a crop of upbeat corporate reports but pinned back by concerns about a possible end to the U.S. Federal Reserve remains committed to stimulus policies. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:35:46 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E239J20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E23HE20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares held below multi-month peaks on Tuesday, with investors unwilling to push the market higher without reassurance that the U.S. Federal Reserve remains committed to equity-friendly stimulus policies. Tue, 21 May 2013 11:37:09 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E23HE20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E22WA20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares reversed earlier losses to trade flat on Tuesday, taking heart from solid opening gains on Wall Street. Tue, 21 May 2013 10:05:55 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E22WA20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E21CY20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt * FTSEurofirst 300 down 0.4 pct, Euro STOXX 50 falls 0.5 pct Tue, 21 May 2013 07:16:55 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E21CY20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20VC20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares fell from multi-year highs on Tuesday, with the UK market having hit a near 13-year peak this week, as concerns over a possible end to central bank stimulus measures halted the region's equity rally. Tue, 21 May 2013 04:07:52 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20VC20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20OI20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares edged back on Tuesday from five-year highs, with some traders citing concerns over a possible end to central bank stimulus measures which have led a global equity market rally this year. Tue, 21 May 2013 03:14:57 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20OI20130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E206820130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European shares were likely to retreat on Tuesday, with concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve might begin slowing its bond purchases later in the year seen prompting investors to take profits from a rally to five year highs. Focus will be on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony to Congress on Wednesday, after comments by Fed officials following recent strong data fuelled speculation the central bank might start to roll back its stimulus measures, which have helped the stock market to hit multi-year highs. Stock index futures pointed to a lower open, with futures for the Euro STOXX 50, UK's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and France's CAC falling 0.1 to 0.2 percent. The FTSEurofirst 300 index ended 0.3 percent firmer at 1,252.09 points in the previous session, the highest in five years. The index has gained move than 10 percent this year on ample liquidity provided by central banks and recent encouraging data, especially from the United States. "The good news for those who remain bullish equities is that investors do appear to be moving away from defensive stocks and back into cyclical stocks, which suggests the rally is far from over," Craig Erlam, analyst at Alpari, said in a morning note. The euro zone's blue chip Euro STOXX 50 index ended 0.2 percent stronger at 2,824.50 points on Monday after hitting a near two-year high. Charts showed the index was technically "overbought", with its 14-day relative strength index (RSI) touching 70, but some analysts said the benchmark could add more gains as momentum remained positive. "Does the index look overbought? Absolutely, but the key oscillators are not displaying any sign of divergence," Bill McNamara, technical analyst at Charles Stanley, said. "Although a minor pull-back is possible at any stage now, there is little in the chart to suggest that a significant corrective phase is looming." Analysts said the index was expected to find support at around 2,750, its peak in March, while the next strong resistance was expected near 3,000, a high in 2011. On the macroeconomic front, focus will be on ICSC/Goldman Sachs data on chain store sales for the week ended May 18, due at 1145 GMT, and Redbook's Retail Sales Index of U.S. department and chain store sales for May, scheduled at 1255 GMT. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0619 GMT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1,666.29 -0.07 % -1.18 NIKKEI 15,381.02 0.13 % 20.21 MSCI ASIA EX-JP 562.97 -0.09 % -0.48 EUR/USD 1.2893 0.09 % 0.0011 USD/JPY 102.55 0.28 % 0.2900 10-YR US TSY YLD 1.966 -- 0.00 10-YR BUND YLD 1.371 -- 0.00 SPOT GOLD $1,395.86 0.2 % $2.82 US CRUDE $96.69 -0.02 % -0.02 > Dollar firms as suspense builds, Asia shares dip > Wall St ends flat on correction worries > Nikkei hits 5-1/2-yr high as retail investors pick up bargains > Prices slip in choppy trading as investors await Fed > Dollar regains ground after Japan minister clarifies yen comments > Gold, silver fall as dollar gains; ETF holdings drop > Copper sits tight ahead of factory data; U.S. confidence supports > Brent holds near 2-week top at around $105 on supply worries COMPANY NEWS VODAFONE The world's second-largest mobile operator posted its largest ever quarterly fall in key organic service revenue, prompting it to keep hold of a dividend from its U.S. arm and reinvest it into the business and not return it to shareholders. The 4.2 percent fall in organic service revenue was in line with forecasts. MARKS & SPENCER The British retailer posted its lowest annual profit since 2009 as a struggling general merchandise division dragged on growth in food sales. With a profit before tax and one-off items of 665.2 million pounds, M&S still managed to beat consensus of 658 million pounds. BURBERRY British luxury group Burberry posted a 14 percent rise in full-year pretax profit and said profit for the first half of its new fiscal year would be below last year's as it reduces its wholesale business in favour of retail markets. BAYER Bayer said extended use of its experimental riociguat pill to treat a life-threatening form of high blood pressure in the lungs was shown to be safe and effective in a prolonged trial. SONOVA The world's largest hearing aid maker said full-year operating profit fell 42 percent, hit by a provision for potential claims against faulty cochlear implants at its subsidiary Advanced Bionics. ROCHE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said it settled all pending litigation with Roche Holding AG's unit Genentech on the company's eye drug, Eylea, and cancer drug, Zaltrap. ATLANTIA The motorway operator is close to selling its transmission towers to U.S. investors for almost 100 million euros, a source close to the matter said on Monday. TELECOM ITALIA Franco Bernabe, the chairman of Telecom Italia, met Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta on Monday to discuss plans to spin off the group's domestic fixed-line network, a source familiar with the situation said late on Monday. DANONE France's Danone is aiming for a bigger slice of one of the world's fastest-growing dairy markets by investing 325 million euros ($417 million) in two deals with China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd. NATIXIS French financial markets regulator AMF has opened an inquiry into an ownership overhaul at French bank Natixis, French daily Les Echos said on Tuesday. Tue, 21 May 2013 02:28:18 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E206820130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20A520130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) - European stock futures pointed to a weaker open on Tuesday, with concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve might begin slowing its bond purchases later in the year prompting investors to take profits from a rally to five-year highs. Tue, 21 May 2013 02:04:16 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E20A520130521?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E12UX20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European shares reached new five-year peaks on Monday, supported by strength in the autos and travel sector, where budget airline Ryanair's stock hit a record high on the back of strong earnings. Mon, 20 May 2013 12:51:48 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E12UX20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E12KM20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European shares edged to fresh five-year highs on Monday, boosted by strength in German stocks and a travel sector lifted by a surge in Ryanair. Mon, 20 May 2013 11:33:04 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E12KM20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E11EQ20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt * FTSEurofirst 300 index steadies by midday trade * Euro Stoxx 50 flat, support seen at 2,750 points * Ryanair jumps after forecast-beating results By Atul Prakash LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European shares held steady on Monday after touching a new five-year high, with positive data from the United States and Japan pointing to an improving global economic outlook, boosting the market's near-term sentiment. The downside to the recent positive U.S. data, however, is that the Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, could decide in response to scale back its monetary stimulus - one of the biggest drivers of the market's recent rally. Cyclical stocks that typically gain on improvements in economic activity rose on Monday. But miners came under pressure following a drop in oil and metals prices on concerns that any change in U.S. monetary policy could hurt global demand for raw materials. The STOXX Europe 600 Basic Resources index fell 1.3 percent. The losses in mining and energy stocks, which were down 0.6 percent, were offset by cyclical sectors such as autos and travel, up 2.1 percent and 0.8 percent respectively. That left the FTSEurofirst 300 index flat at 1,247.79 points at 1108 GMT, after earlier touching 1,250.91, its highest since mid-2008. The euro zone's blue chip Euro STOXX 50 was flat at 2,817.74 points. Charts show the index has broken out of a three-month sideways range and stayed in a short-term uptrend, underpinned around its March peak of 2,750. Its 14-day relative strength index (RSI) of 70 shows it has moved into "overbought" territory but is still poised for more gains. "A higher RSI worries me only when you get a negative divergence or when the market rallies up but with less momentum. Bias is definitely on the upside in the near term," Dominic Hawker, technical analyst at Westhouse Securities, said. "I would regard any consolidation from an 'overbought' position as a buying opportunity," he said, adding that the index's next target was 3,000. J.P.Morgan Cazenove said it was sticking to its call that markets will not see the typical seasonal weakness this time around and expected them to continue grinding higher. Equities were helped by encouraging data. Friday's figures showed U.S. consumer sentiment rose to the highest in nearly six years, while a gauge of future economic activity rose to a near five-year high. On Monday, Japan raised its assessment of the country's economy. "We have started to see a series of positive readings coming out of the United States. We are positioned for a rising market and think that the best way is to invest in financials," Robert Parkes, equity strategist at HSBC Securities, said. Among sharp movers, budget airline Ryanair led the travel and leisure sector by jumping 7.9 percent after posting forecast-beating full-year earnings. Mon, 20 May 2013 07:35:22 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E11EQ20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10VF20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt * FTSEurofirst 300 index rises 0.1 percent * Auto, travel shares help index to set 5-yr high * Ryanair jumps after forecast-beating results By Atul Prakash LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European shares set a new five-year high for a fourth straight session on Monday after positive indicators from the United States and Japan pointed to an improving global economic outlook. At 0803 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of blue chip European shares was 0.1 percent firmer at 1,249.08 points after earlier reaching 1,250.91, its highest since the middle of 2008. The index is up more than 10 percent this year. "We have started to see a series of positive readings coming out of the United States. We are positioned for a rising market and think that the best way is to invest in financials," Robert Parkes, equity strategist at HSBC Securities, said. Equities gained strength from encouraging economic indicators. Data on Friday showed that U.S. consumer sentiment rose to the highest level in nearly six years, while a gauge of future economic activity rose to a near five-year high. On Monday, Japan raised its assessment of the country's economy for the first time in two months. Cyclical sectors were in demand, with the travel and leisure sector gaining 0.6 percent. Budget airline Ryanair led the sector, jumping 5.7 percent after posting forecast-beating full-year earnings on strong growth in fares and a sharp rise in charges for items such as baggage and in-flight refreshments. The news supported peer EasyJet, which climbed 4.3 percent. It was underpinned by Citigroup lifting its price target for the stock to 1,330 pence from 1,210 pence. The shares were last quoted at 1,240 pence. The European auto sector rose 1.3 percent on expectations that a recovery in the global economy would boost demand for vehicles. "You might gradually see people moving away from defensives to cyclicals," a European equities trader said. "It's incredibly difficult to find good returns in the bond market, so equities are an obvious choice for investors." Mon, 20 May 2013 04:43:31 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10VF20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10KU20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European shares extended gains to set a new five-year high for a fourth straight session on Monday, with investors flocking to buy riskier assets such as equities on fresh signs of a recovery in the global economy. Mon, 20 May 2013 03:12:55 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10KU20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0DY3AH20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European stocks were seen rising at the open on Monday, taking their cue from ebullient global equity markets after encouraging signals from the U.S. and Japanese economies. At 0621 GMT, futures for Euro STOXX 50, Britain's FTSE 100 and France's CAC were up 0.3-0.4 percent, while contracts on Germany's DAX were up 0.6 percent. The U.S. Dow and S&P 500 finished at fresh record peaks on Friday after estimate-beating economic data and Japan's Nikkei surged to a 5-1/2 year high on Monday as Tokyo raised its assessment of the country's economy for the first time in two months. "To many observers the market picture will look very bullish and reflective of an improving growth and earnings story," Credit Agricole said in a note. "Risk assets continue to rally as central banks keep the liquidity taps open." Continued monetary stimulus from central banks has helped the Euro STOXX 50 rise 19 percent since late April, leaving the index at a two-year high and in "overbought" territory according to its 7-day Relative Strength Indexes (RSI), a momentum indicator. Yet each market dip has been bought into, pointing to resilient investor appetite and possible further gains ahead. "The daily RSI has broken above a declining trend line," Nicolas Suiffet, a technical analyst at Paris-based Trading Central, said. "Even though a consolidation cannot be ruled out because of a slightly overbought situation on an intraday basis, its extent should be limited and could be seen as a buying opportunity." Suiffet said the Euro STOXX 50, which rose 0.4 percent to 2,817.99 points on Friday, could rise towards 2,885 points, a level last seen in early July 2008, before tensions relating to the euro zone debt crisis caused a steep selloff. Volume may be below its recent average on Monday as the earnings and economic calendars are light and stock exchanges in Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Norway are shut due to national holidays. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0621 GMT: LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1,667.47 1.03 % 17 NIKKEI 15,360.81 1.47 % 222.69 MSCI ASIA EX-JP 563.77 0.82 % 4.56 EUR/USD 1.2845 0.27 % 0.0034 USD/JPY 102.67 -0.24 % -0.2500 10-YR US TSY YLD 1.965 -- 0.01 10-YR BUND YLD 1.362 -- 0.05 SPOT GOLD $1,343.84 -1.09 % -$14.86 US CRUDE $95.80 -0.23 % -0.22 > GLOBAL MARKETS-Yen edges up from lows, Asian shares rise > Dow, S&P end at records, stocks mark 4th week of gains > Nikkei hits fresh 5 1/2-yr high on weak yen > TREASURIES-Prices fall on improved consumer sentiment > Yen climbs after minister's comments > Gold hits 1-month low as Fed pressured to end stimulus > Copper eases on worries Fed will turn off tap > Brent below $105, moderate demand offsets strong data COMPANY NEWS RIO TINTO Two powerful Australian unions have joined forces to try to take on Rio Tinto Ltd at its iron ore mines, where workers have not had union representation for around two decades, the two unions said. ENRC, KAZAKHMYS Kazakhstan's government and the trio of founders behind miner ENRC, seeking to take the company private, have offered shares in rival Kazakhmys as well as cash in an indicative proposal valuing the group at just under $5 billion. TESCO The clothing brand sold by Britain's biggest retailer said it planned to open more than 50 new franchise stores worldwide over the next five years. FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE The dialysis provider will begin its first ever share buyback programme on May 20, acquiring up to 385 million euros ($493.7 million) worth of its own stock. SIEMENS Former Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Josef Ackermann is not interested in replacing Gerhard Cromme as the chairman of Siemens' supervisory board, Sueddeutsche Zeitung quoted Ackermann as saying in its Saturday edition. TELECOM ITALIA It is not clear if a plan to spin off the group's fixed-line network will be approved at a board meeting next Thursday though it is very likely more time will be taken so that shareholders can examine details of the plan that will be presented by chairman Franco Bernabe, Il Sole 24 Ore said on Sunday. PIRELLI, CAMFIN Industrial and financial investors are in talks to buy a stake in Camfin, a holding company that controls tyremaker Pirelli, key investor Marco Tronchetti Provera said on Friday. IMPREGILO A consortium led by Impregilo has won a contract worth around 1.7 billion euros to build a metro line in Doha, Qatar, Impregilo said in a statement on Friday. Builder Salini, which controls Impregilo after a tender offer, said it had completed work to restore a market float big enough to ensure regular trading of Impregilo shares, leaving it with 89.7 percent of the company, Salini said on Friday FINMECCANICA The government could decide to trigger the fall of the whole board of Finmeccanica and have a new board appointed, Il Messaggero said on Saturday without citing sources. On Sunday the same paper said former police chief Gianni De Gennaro was a leading candidate for the position of chairman while Alessandro Pansa could be confirmed in his role as CEO. FCC Spanish construction group FCC has hired BNP Paribas to sell its street furniture unit Cemusa as it works through a plan to cut debt, Expansion newspaper reported on Monday, without citing any sources for the information. BANKIA State-controlled Spanish lender Bankia is close to selling Florida-based City National Bank to Banco do Brasil for around $900 million, Expansion reported on Saturday, citing sources close to the process. Mon, 20 May 2013 02:29:06 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0DY3AH20130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10B920130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - European stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Monday, boosted by signs of an improving global growth outlook. Mon, 20 May 2013 02:04:35 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0E10B920130520?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0DY37Z20130517?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) - A rally in auto stocks and strong U.S. data helped European shares set a 5-year high on Friday and record their fourth consecutive weekly gain, with cyclical shares leading risers. Fri, 17 May 2013 12:39:14 -0400 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/eurMktRpt/idUSL6N0DY37Z20130517?rpc=930&ca=plm&feedType=RSS&feedName=eurMktRpt