Stock market fixing:
Nikkei 225 -94.45 -0.7% 14,341.12
Topix -6.02 -0.4% 1,424.45
FTSE 100+25.20+0.42%5,995.30
CAC 40-8.01-0.16%4,907.06
Xetra Dax-23.60-0.34%6,941.83
DOW +213.97+1.73%12,604.45
NASDAQ+46.80+1.87%2,549.94
S&P 500 +26.76+1.94%1,403.96
10yr Note+0.8500+0.216%4.025%
NYMEX Crude Oil+5.49+4.49%127.79
Gold-8.30-0.94%875.50
Japan's stocks fell
after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. cut its rating on the nation's banking
industry and falling prices for oil and metals dragged down commodity-related
shares.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.
and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. led banks lower. Mitsui & Co., which gets
more than half its profit from commodities, declined to a three-week low.
Softbank Corp., the nation's fastest-growing wireless carrier, soared the most
in two months on its agreement to sell Apple Inc.'s iPhone handset in Japan.
Mizuho, the most actively traded
stock by value on the exchange's main board, slipped 3.7%, the biggest decline
since May 21. Chuo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. sank 2.9%, and market leader
Mitsubishi UFJ lost 2.9%. Banks accounted for more than half of the Topix's
decline.
Mitsui tumbled 4.3%, the lowest since May 14.
Larger rival Mitsubishi Corp., which has a stake in the world's largest copper
and zinc mine, fell 3%. Inpex Holdings Inc., the nation's biggest oil explorer,
tumbled 3.1%.
European stocks fell for a second day after European Central Bank President
Jean-Claude Trichet said policy makers may raise interest rates as early as
next month to contain inflation.
Credit Agricole SA slumped to a
five-year low after new shares were priced below its initial stock offering.
Anglo American Plc led a retreat among mining companies as copper, lead and zinc
prices declined in London.
The ECB kept its key interest rate on hold at a
six-year high to fight inflation even as the economy cools. The Bank of England
earlier also left rates unchanged.
Credit Agricole tumbled 8%. France's
third-largest bank dropped to its lowest since April 2003, after saying
yesterday it will sell shares at 10.6 euros each, a 37% discount on the
previous day's close.
Anglo American fell 2.9% and BHP,
the world's largest mining company, slipped 1.2%.
Vodafone Group Plc climbed after Verizon
Wireless agreed to buy Alltel Corp. for $28.1 billion in cash and debt. Verizon
Wireless is jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone, which
climbed 3.8%.
A big drop in weekly jobless claims and surprisingly strong May sales
from Wal-Mart Stores were among the main factors lifting stocks on Wall Street
Thursday.
Brown-Forman Corp.
climbed the most in four months. The maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey said
fourth-quarter profit rose 48%, more than analysts estimated, on an increase in
overseas sales.
Comtech Telecommunications Corp.
rose after it said third-quarter sales jumped 16% to $138.1 million, beating
the $129.2 million average estimate of six analysts surveyed.
Martek Biosciences Corp. fell
the most since Sept. 7. The maker of nutritional oils for foods and baby
formula said fiscal third-quarter net income will be lower because of
production timing and ordering patterns of several large customers.
Nucor Corp. climbed the most
since April 16. The largest U.S.-based steelmaker by market value boosted its
second-quarter profit forecast amid rising demand for the metal and record
prices.
