Stock market fixing:
Nikkei -6.00 -0.04% 14,348.37
Topix +0.29 +0,02% 1,401.98
FTSE +67.30 +1.16% 5,861.90
DAX +66.28 +0.98% 6,796.16
CAC +28.59 +0.61% 4,686.33
Dow -108.78 -0.89% 12,160.30
NASDAQ -17.05 -0.69% 2,457.73
S&P -9.21 -0.68% 1,350.93
10yr Note -0.2000 -0.047% 4.225%
NYMEX Crude Oil -0.60 -0.45% 134.01
Gold +0.60 +0.07% 886.90

In Japan, share markets were subdued. The yen strengthened, moving away from its weakest level in four months of Y108.58 that was hit on Monday.
Steelmakers fell as two of the sector’s biggest companies, Kobe Steel and JFE, were downgraded by Mizuho Securities. Kobe sank by 2.7% to Y327 and JFE fell by 1.0% to Y5,760.
Tokyo Electric, the country’s biggest power producer, gained 1% as the cost of crude dropped, and the fall also helped shipping lines. They were battered badly last week as the surge in crude raised fears that demand for sea transport, especially of bulk goods, would fall. Mitsui OSK rose by 2.5%, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha gained 1.3% and Nippon Yusen KK was up 0.9%.

European stocks rose to a one-week high after oil retreated, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s profit topped analysts' estimates and investors increased bets the Federal Reserve will keep borrowing costs on hold next week.
Ryanair Holdings Plc advanced as crude fell for a third day. BNP Paribas SA rose to the highest in almost two weeks after Goldman said gains in commodities, prime brokerage and asset management offset fixed-income losses. Daimler AG climbed the most in three months after the carmaker said it would buy back $9.3 billion of its shares.
BNP Paribas, France's biggest bank by assets, added 2.7%. Societe Generale SA jumped 3.2%.
Goldman reported second-quarter profit of $4.58 a share, more than the $3.42 estimate by analysts in a survey.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc rose after Dresdner Kleinwort upgraded shares of Britain's second biggest lender and the Bank of England damped speculation it will increase rates. The stock climbed 2.7%.
Dresdner Kleinwort raised its recommendation on the stock to ``add,'' saying the company has ``dealt with'' its weakened capital base and is capable of withstanding a U.K. economic decline.

Stocks on Wall Street were volatile Tuesday as investors welcomed Goldman Sachs' better-than-expected earnings report, but remained wary amid mixed readings on the economy, including a rise in a measure of wholesale inflation.
Goldman Sachs beats expectations. The investment bank reported sales and earnings that fell from a year ago, but topped estimates, showing that it continues to avoid the worst of the credit market fallout. Goldman Sachs shares gained 1%.
However, other financial shares weakened. American Express declined after brokerage Friedman Billings reiterated its "underperform" rating, saying that it expects the company to see more losses going forward due to the strapped consumer.
Best Buy tops forecasts. The electronics retailer reported a lower quarterly profit that nonetheless topped estimates. The company also reiterated its full-year sales and earnings forecasts. Investors seemed to take a sell-the-news approach and sent Best Buy stock more than 3% lower.
Wholesale prices rise. The May Producer Price Index (PPI), a measure of wholesale inflation, rose 1.4% versus forecasts for a rise of 1%, reflecting the spike in food and energy costs. PPI rose 0.2% in April. The so-called core PPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, climbed 0.2%, as expected, after increasing 0.4% in the previous month.
Housing market continues to weaken. Housing starts and building permits both fell in May, with starts missing forecasts and permits, a measure of builder confidence, topping estimates. The number of single-family home starts fell to a 17-year low.
Manufacturing activity weakens. Industrial production fell 0.2% in May, according to a Federal Reserve report Tuesday morning that was worse than expected. Capacity utilization also dipped modestly, to 79.4% from 79.6% in the previous month.

The dollar dropped against the euro for a second day as declines in housing and industrial production raised speculation that the Federal Reserve will delay increasing borrowing costs this year.
Sterling dropped versus euro as King predicted British inflation will exceed 4% this year. The rate accelerated to 3.3% in May, the highest level since at least 1997, the Office for National Statistics said in a report. Mervyn King said the path to bringing inflation within the central bank's target is ``uncertain.''
U.S. housing starts dropped to an annual rate of 975,000 in May, from a revised 1.008 million the previous month, the Commerce Department said. It was the lowest since March 1991.
Production in U.S. factories, mines and utilities declined 0.2% last month after dropping 0.7% in April, the Fed reported. Economists had forecast industrial production would rise 0.1%.
The dollar weakened earlier against the euro after the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times reported the U.S. central bank would probably leave borrowing costs unchanged beyond its June policy meeting.
The euro pared gains against the dollar after a report from the Mannheim-based ZEW Center for European Economic Research showed investor confidence in Germany fell this month to the lowest in more than 15 months.

EUR/USD tested $1.5550 before retreating to $1.5460. Later rate could rebound to $1.5526.
GBP/USD tested $1.9700, but failed to break above the figure and retreated to the lows around $1.9470. Later rate recovered to $1.9580.
USD/JPY held between the Y107.60/Y108.40 range.

Main focus is on MPC’s minutes, when BOE decided to leave rate unchanged at 5.0%.