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STI to cross 3000 boosted by long-term investors
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 12:15
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WINDOW RE-DRESSING BY BIG FUND EXIT SAFE HAVEN GOLD.                                         A BIG ANG BAO SURPRISE FROM DJ TO ASIA ? ??             HOW I WISH WITHOUT FEES FROM SWITCHING/EXITING                                     IN AND  OUT  SAME AS " BIG BUNNIES"   |
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 12:08
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Gold barely moves ahead of U.S. data, equities weigh
Gold Bars
  * Coming Up: ADP employer services report 1315 GMT (Updates prices, adds quotes)   By Lewa Pardomuan   SINGAPORE, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Gold barely moved on Wednesday as rising equities and hopes for further economic recovery in the United States prompted some investors to shift to riskier assets, but lower prices could spur bargain hunting from jewellers.   The safe-haven appeal of gold was also dented by easing tensions in Egypt after President Hosni Mubarak said he would surrender power in September, offering a mixture of concessions and defiance to Egyptians who marched a million strong to demand his 30-year-rule end immediately.   Investors awaited the release of the ADP Employer Services report at 1315 GMT, which could be supportive for U.S. stocks and the dollar if the numbers were better than expected. Most recent U.S. indicators have suggested the economy is picking up steam.   Spot gold hit a low around $1,337 an ounce before steadying at $1,340.70 by 0243 GMT -- well below a lifetime high around $1,430 struck in December. Trading slowed to a trickle in Asia ahead of the Lunar New Year celebration.   " If we see employment and job creations start to pick up, it will add on to the prevailing sense of economic optimism in the market," said Ong Yi Ling, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.   " So gold could come under some pressure as investors move into other risk assets like equities and industrial metals. I think I will look at first support for gold at about $1,325 and the next level will be about $1,300."   The Nikkei was on track for its biggest daily jump in two and a half months on Wednesday after global markets rallied on strong manufacturing data, robust U.S. earnings and easing concerns about the Middle East.   ADP Employer Services report later in the day is expected to show U.S. private employers added 145,000 jobs in January. Forecasts from economists polled by Reuters range from 75,000 to 250,000.   U.S. gold futures for April added $1.7 to 1,342 an ounce, having settled around $5 higher on weaker U.S. dollar.   Spot gold may resume its downtrend this week and fall to $1,290-$1,280, as it is unable to break above an upper channel line resistance at $1,346, according to Wang Tao, who is a Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals.   For a weekly gold technical outlook:   http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/WT/20110202093908.jpg   In the physical market, dealers noted buying interest from several buyers in Asia, keeping premiums for gold bars steady at their highest levels in at least seven years in Singapore and Hong Kong.   " Things have slowed down but we receive orders from clients from Thailand and India.  Premium remains at $1.90 at my end," said a dealer in Singapore.   Gold imports in India, the world's largest consumer of the precious metal, rose 18 percent in January to 40 tonnes provisionally, and next month's wedding season could further boost demand, head of a trade body said.   In India, which accounts for 20 percent of global demand for jewellery, gold is widely given in religious celebrations and weddings.   The euro rose to its highest level in nearly three months, extending gains on rising investor risk appetite. The euro rose to $1.3853 , its highest level since early November.   Precious metals prices 0243 GMT Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover Spot Gold 1340.70 0.25 +0.02 -5.55 Spot Silver 28.54 0.05 +0.18 -7.52 Spot Platinum 1832.50 7.50 +0.41 3.68 Spot Palladium 820.72 1.25 +0.15 2.65 TOCOM Gold 3527.00 -7.00 -0.20 -5.42 34625 TOCOM Platinum 4855.00 63.00 +1.31 3.39 9469 TOCOM Silver 74.80 0.60 +0.81 -7.65 635 TOCOM Palladium 2164.00 -5.00 -0.23 3.20 190 Euro/Dollar 1.3842 Dollar/Yen 81.44 TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce. (Editing by Himani Sarkar) |
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iPunter
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02-Feb-2011 10:58
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But with the new moon having established on Monday,       it will very likely give the market an Ooomphy boost...             And perhaps many big-time funds people are into this 'indicator'... 
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 10:49
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INVESTORS RELUCTANT TO TAKE UP BIG BET AHEAD OF 恭 喜 发 财 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 00:58
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WEDNESDAY, FEB 2 Singapore Electronics Sector Index (Jan) Purchasing Managers Index (Jan) United States ABC Consumer Confidence MBA Mortgage Applications |
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 00:38
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Mark Hulbert Feb. 1, 2011, 12:01 a.m. EST An international January Barometer?Commentary: Should non-U.S. traders pay attention to the indicator?By Mark Hulbert, MarketWatch CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (MarketWatch) — “How goes January, so goes the year.”
What I found: In almost all countries other than the U.S., January has no ability to forecast the stock market’s return over the subsequent 11 months. One consequence of this finding is to call into question whether investors in the U.S. should be paying much attention in the first place.
Consider the evidence compiled by a study that appeared two years ago in the Journal of Financial Markets, entitled “The other January effect: International, style and subperiod evidence.” The study’s authors calculated the January indicator’s track record in 22 countries other than the U.S., over periods extending as far back as 1801. (Click here for a link to the study.) In only two of those 22 countries did the researchers find that the 11-month returns following positive Januarys was statistically different than the returns following negative Januarys. Those two were the United Kingdom and Spain. Does that mean you should rush out and invest heavily in both countries’ stocks, since both of their markets performed handsomely during January? Probably not, according to the researchers. That’s because, even if the January Barometer were entirely mythical, you’d still expect — out of randomness alone — that one or two countries’ markets would nevertheless exhibit the pattern. The January Barometer’s apparent success in the U.K. and Spain might very well be just a so-called “false positive.” Might the January Barometer in the U.S. also be nothing more than a false positive? There is evidence suggesting it may be. Consider other evidence that the authors of this academic study compiled: They compared the performances of the January Barometer both before and after its being first widely publicized in the U.S. For that cut-off, they used 1975, since it was mentioned in the 1974 edition of the Stock Trader’s Almanac. The researchers found that the January Barometer has markedly weakened since the mid-1970s. This suggests to them that, to the extent it ever existed in the U.S., it was a merely “temporary” phenomenon. What’s all this mean for traders as they contemplate the month of February? They should base their trading strategies on something other than how their country’s stock market performed during the month of January. Mark Hulbert is the founder of Hulbert Financial Digest in Annandale, Va. He has been tracking the advice of more than 160 financial newsletters since 1980. |
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 00:34
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Feb. 1, 2011, 12:01 a.m. EST Buy localCommentary: Avoid China, short the U.S. market insteadBy Thomas Kee LA JOLLA, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Why invest internationally when the short side of the U.S. markets is so attractive?
Furthermore, the U.S. is in the third major down period in history, according to my proprietary longer-term leading stock market and economic indicator, The Investment Rate, so we are not tempted to buy and hold anything. In fact, even though some might argue with me given the run from September 2009, I believe buy and hold is dead, and it will stay dead for some time.
If I had to make an argument specific to international investments, I would suggest that India will outpace China as the years continue, but I think investing in those countries without having a hands-on approach is risky at best. I do not trust China at all instead my research tells me that China will do everything possible to undercut the United States when it has the chance. Regardless of the potential for growth in China, I would avoid investments in that country for a multitude of reasons. That means avoiding China-based ETFs like iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund /quotes/comstock/13*!fxi/quotes/nls/fxi (FXI 42.81, +0.26, +0.61%)   and Chinese stocks like China Mobile /quotes/comstock/13*!chl/quotes/nls/chl (CHL 49.46, +0.32, +0.64%)   , most of which are already under pressure.
Instead, if I were to take positions in international markets, which I will not, I would focus on India and a diversified ETF or ETN representing that country. Take a look at iPath MSCI India Index ETN /quotes/comstock/13*!inp/quotes/nls/inp (INP 65.31, -0.81, -1.23%) . I would avoid Australia and Brazil and all other top-performing foreign markets from 2010, protecting against global risks as 2011 continues.
I could not help but become extremely vocal. We were already in Power Shares Ultra Short Russell 2000 /quotes/comstock/13*!twm/quotes/nls/twm (TWM 12.14, -0.40, -3.19%)   , and already well in the money. The Russell was already down 2.45% from its highs, so we had nice unrealized gains, something their listeners could have realized too, had they not taken the week off. The short side of the market is just as lucrative as the long side get used to it.
Timing models, the Periodic Oscillator, and the Investment Rate, including sentiment indicators, all contribute to the timing of the decisions I make, and can be reviewed without obligation by visiting Stock Traders Daily . Thomas Kee is president and chief executive of Stock Traders Daily and the author of “Buy and Hold is Dead: How to Make Money and Control Risk in Any Market.” |
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 00:20
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    DJ 30 tips 12000 points...     S& P tips 1296 points...     STI tips 3195 points...      HSI tips 23540 points...   SSE tips 2810 points...   see how the things work, all points at market closed la,,                |
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krisluke
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02-Feb-2011 00:07
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Bullish reversal stock ^ ezra  ^ genting singapore. Quick punt stock ^ indoagri, golden agri, straits asia. Bearish stock ^ properties related to china project. Kiv stock ^counters related to shipping, eg:  nol, yzj...   |
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krisluke
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01-Feb-2011 18:48
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  Fundamentals lift stocks, dollar at 12-week low  
  * Euro gains on inflation pressure   * Egypt keeps Brent oil above $100     By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent   LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Investors shifted focus from worrying about Middle East turmoil to concentrate on fundamentals on Tuesday, lifting global stocks against a background of improved economic data and corporate results.   Inflation expectations lifted the euro, helping drive the dollar to a 12-week low against a group of other currencies.   The price of oil, the most sensitive indicator of market unease about Egypt, eased, although Brent crude remained a few cents above $100 a barrel.   Cairo was braced for a protest that aimed to bring a million people onto the streets demanding an end to the 30-year-rule of President Hosni Mubarak.   Oil's dip, however, was more related to China's factory growth cooling to a five-month low, signalling demand may not rise as quickly in the world's second-largest oil user.   The Egyptian crisis has prompted bursts of risk aversion on financial markets over the past few days but investors on Tuesday were trading on expectations of better prospects for the world economy.   Purchasing manager indexes (PMI) for January are being released through the day. Early indications were that they will come in relatively strong.   Investors were encouraged by upbeat U.S. Midwest factory activity and consumer spending figures on Monday.   " There is confidence in the market as companies are reporting good figures," said Heinz-Gerd Sonnenschein, equity markets strategist at Deutsche Postbank in Bonn.   German chipmaker Infineon, for example, raised its full-year outlook, anticipating strong demand from the automotive and industrial sectors.   World stocks as measured by MSCI gained a quarter of a percent, with Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 up 0.4 percent.   Japan's Nikkei earlier closed up 0.36 percent.   Developed market stock indexes are generally in positive territory for the year. By contrast, Citi reported that most core government bonds lost money in January.   DOLLAR FALLS   The dollar fell to a 12-week low against a basket of currencies, driven lower as the euro extended gains in the wake of above-forecast inflation data.   The dollar index fell to its weakest since early November.   Euros brought $1.3700, up 0.1 percent after earlier trading around $1.3746, nearing a 10-week high hit last week, buoyed by the view that euro zone interest rates would rise before U.S. rates.   " Relative rate spreads are still favouring the euro to the dollar," said John Hydeskov, currency strategist at Danske. " Pressure has intensified for the ECB to do something about inflation when it meets on Thursday."   Demand for euro zone government debt was flat to lower, pushing up longer-term yields.   (Additional reporting by Harpreet Bhal and Naomi Tajitsu Editing by John Stonestreet) |
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krisluke
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01-Feb-2011 18:33
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bsiong
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01-Feb-2011 18:31
Yells: "The Greatest Wealth is Health" |
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Singapore’s Straits Times Index gained 0.2% to 3,184.74 at the close. Four stocks advanced for every three that fell in the benchmark index of 30 companies. Shares on the measure trade at an average 14.5 times estimated earnings, compared with about 15.6 times at the end of 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.  The following shares were among the most active in the market.    Commodity suppliers: The Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index, which tracks prices of 19 commodities from copper to corn, increased 1.8% in New York yesterday, extending its advance for a second day.   Noble Group  (NOBL SP), a Hong Kong-based commodities supplier, gained 0.5% to $2.19.  Olam International  (OLAM SP), a Singapore-based supplier of agricultural commodities, climbed 1.6% to $3.09. CEI Contract Manufacturing  (CEI SP), a maker of electronics components, jumped 8% to 13.5 cents. The company said full-year net income increased to $5.2 million from $2.3 million a year earlier.   Neptune Orient Lines  (NOL SP), Southeast Asia’s biggest container carrier, gained 0.5% to $2.21. The company said average freight rates in the seven weeks to Dec. 31 climbed 21% from a year earlier as it transported 26% more cargo.   Renewable Energy Asia Group  (REAG SP), a Singapore- based developer of alternative energy projects, increased 2.4% to 21.5 cents. The company said it received approval to build a 10-megawatt solar power plant in Mongolia. The project will cost about 190 million yuan ($36.7 million) to develop, it said.     |
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enghou
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01-Feb-2011 17:21
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DBS Technical Comment   Market consolidation likely end at STI 3165 worst case downside at 3090. Expect the local bourse to start the week on a soft note given the worsening unrest in Egypt and weakness in US markets last Friday as well as Asian bourses. Potential buyers are also likely to shy away in the immediate term given the holiday shortened week. Still, we maintain our short-term view that the market consolidation will likely end at 3165 with worst case downside at 3090. We maintain this view because 1) we believe that equities is one of the more attractive investment asset classes compared to the rest (e.g. bonds, currencies, commodities and physical properties) 2) STI is not that far away from levels seen as attractive and where firm support lays: -0.5SD FY11F is at 3000 and the 200-day EMA for the STI is currently @ 3055. Our preferred themes continue to be Singapore banks, O& G (yards) and laggards with potential catalysts this year. Our current thematic stocks (i.e. banks with low P/B and rig builders) have outperformed the STI in the current short-term market consolidation phase. Avoid, in general, companies that will feel the heat from high commodity prices (e.g. downstream food suppliers because their profit margins will be vulnerable to rising food prices going forward). Happy New Year  |
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enghou
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01-Feb-2011 17:16
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CIMB Technical Comment   Immediate outlook: STI pushed marginally higher on Friday ending the week 45pts higher. Last week we were expecting more weakness but the bulls refused to budge. Without the bearish price action below the critical support at 3,125, we cannot confirm that 3,313 is THE major top that we have been looking for. The recent sideways price action has actually opened the door for a slightly more bullish interpretation, a triangle consolidation. Once this pattern ends, there should be on more leg higher to above 3,313, with a chance to test 3,400, the psychological resistance. Hence, we now neutral on the market until we see a breakout on either side of 3,125 or 3,290. Long term outlook: There are more and more signs that could possibly suggest that 3,313 is a significant high. The shooting star pattern in November, the lagging momentum indicators, and the bullish sentiment across the board, all of which are bearish for the index. Coupled with the completed bearish Elliott Wave count, whereby the 3-waves rebound from March 09 appears to be completed after it reached its 78.6%Fibonacci Retracement level (3,322), there is a good chance that 3,313 may be a level that may not be revisited in the long while. However, all of these signs still require a confirmed breakdown below the 3,125 levels before we can turn firmly bearish on the STI. At the moment, we still cannot totally eliminate a final run to about the 3,400 levels but the longer term odds now favour the bears once again. The next big leg is likely going to be down as the bear market from 2007 resumes. This downleg would likely drag the market fall back below the 2,000 levels to retest the 09 lows of 1,455 again. Happy New Year  |
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niuyear
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01-Feb-2011 17:13
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symbol of good luck:   Ladybugs (Ladybugs or ladybirds.) These cute little insects are considered to be good luck in many cultures, and not just because they’re one of the few bugs that wouldn’t terrify you if they landed on your shirt. Ladybugs were also traditionally viewed with favour because, unlike many insects, they didn’t prey on farmers’ crops. If you want a symbol of good luck, these cute little critters are an excellent addition to your house. Their cute, visually arresting motif will make them a good animal to have in your kid’s room. Whether it’s ladybug-themed wallpaper or pictured scampering around a blanket, their strong red and black can brighten up a space. IKEA seems to have a thing for ladybugs too, as it’s made them a frequent motif for seat cushions, tents and nightlights. |
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krisluke
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01-Feb-2011 16:38
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HK, China shares edge up but volumes light ahead of holiday
Hong Kong night skyline
  * Energy shares lift benchmarks as oil prices jump overnight   * Transportation sector weaker rail, shippers ease   (Updates to midday)   By Vikram S.Subhedar and Chen Yixin   HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - China and Hong Kong shares rose slightly on Tuesday as a jump in energy shares lifted the benchmarks but overall volume remained light ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays.   Chinese investors resisted making big bets ahead of a week long break which starts on Wednesday as manufacturing data released this morning pointed to persistent inflation pressures, further fueling concern over monetary tightening.   Shanghai's key stock index and the Hang Seng index both rose 0.2 percent by the midday trading break.   China's factories slowed a touch in January under the weight of monetary tightening, but input prices rose quickly, keeping the pressure on the government to tackle inflation despite easing growth.   A raft of anti-inflation measures which include China's first ever property tax, a hike in bank reserve ratios and a shortfall in the domestic money market has weighed on mainland markets and stalled a strong start to the year for Hong Kong shares.   " After the new year holiday, CPI data will soon be published which may increase the likelihood of more policy tightening," said an analyst at a commercial bank in Beijing.   But easing liquidity conditions in the money market, which had helped Shanghai stocks rebound 1.4 percent on Monday, continued to lend support.   China's benchmark short-term money market rate plunged over 450 basis points in early trade on Tuesday as holiday-related cash demand eased, traders said.   Higher crude oil prices overnight lifted oil counters, but also kept market players wary about the impact of rising energy prices at a time when Asian countries battle to tame inflation.   Oil retreated on Tuesday as China's factory growth slowed to a five-month low, signalling demand may not rise as quickly in the world's second-largest oil user, but Egypt's social upheaval kept Brent crude firmly above $100.   In Hong Kong, CNOOC rebounded, up 3.4 percent and the Hang Seng index's top performer, after its near 8 percent slide over the past two sessions. Petrochina rose 2.8 percent on healthy volumes.   Those rises helped the Hang Seng index gain for the first time in three sessions as a steady pick-up in short-selling since mid-January suggested some investors were betting on weakness to persist.   Bearish bets, particularly on Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong, rose on Monday with the shorted volume on the iShares FTSE A50 China tracker fund rising to 32.1 percent of overall turnover, the highest in two weeks, as of the close.   Investors in Shanghai took profit in the water and high-speed rail sectors, which had rallied in recent sessions on the back of more government spending in these industries.   Anhui Water Resources Development fell 4.7 percent, while Guangdong No.2 Hydropower Engineering was down 4.6 percent.   Among high-speed rail shares, China CNR Corp dropped 2.6 percent, while CSR Corp fell 1.9 percent.   The push and pull between those optimistic on Chinese shares after their underperformance last year and those betting on further weakness is likely to keep market activity volatile after trading resumes in full earnest after the Lunar New Year.   Traders may soon have a way to hedge against that volatility in Hong Kong, however, after the Hang Seng Indexes Company, which owns and manages the benchmark indexes, launched a volatility index, its own version of Wall Street's " fear gauge," the VIX.   (Editing by Jonathan Hopfner) |
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krisluke
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01-Feb-2011 12:12
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Oil dips as China factory growth slows Brent stays above $100
* Brent topped $100 for the first time since Oct. 2008 on Monday
  * Technicals show U.S. crude headed for $94   * Coming Up: U.S. API weekly inventory statistics   By Alejandro Barbajosa   SINGAPORE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Oil retreated on Tuesday as China's factory growth slowed to a five-month low, signalling demand may not rise as quickly in the world's second-largest oil user, while Egypt's social upheaval kept Brent crude firmly above $100.   Monetary tightening to contain inflation caused China's purchasing managers' index (PMI), an indicator for factory activity, to fall to a lower-than-expected 52.9 in January from 53.9 in December, official data showed.   Brent crude for March slid 50 cents to $100.51 a barrel at 0302 GMT, after topping $100 for the first time since October 2008 on Monday, when prices touched an intraday high of $101.73. U.S. crude shed 25 cents to $91.94.   " $100 is not a final target" for Brent, said Tetsu Emori, a fund manager at Tokyo-based Astmax Co Ltd.   " $110 and $115 could be reached by the end of the year. People now have to take geopolitics into consideration. Even if nothing happens in Egypt, it allows investors to take on additional risk and develop long positions in the hope of making more money."   Egypt's anti-government protesters, scenting victory after President Hosni Mubarak agreed to discuss sweeping political reforms, rallied support for what they hope can be a million-strong march for democracy on Tuesday.   Mubarak's newly appointed vice-president began talks with opposition figures and the army declared the protesters demands " legitimate" and said it would hold its fire.   At the moment, Egypt's unrest poses no direct threat to ships passing through the strategic Suez Canal, connecting the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, a senior official with London's marine insurance market said on Monday.   " While the current tensions have raised some concerns about an eventual impact on logistics, we note that physical oil supply has not been affected," Credit Suisse analysts including Stefan Graber said.   " While short-term risks remain skewed to the upside, we think that the current price strength is likely to ease once the situation in Egypt normalizes. Spare OPEC production capacity remains ample, which should prevent a rapid tightening of the market balance."   The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries says it holds about 6 million barrels per day (bpd) of idle production capacity -- equal to 7 percent of world demand -- that it could tap to fill any shortage. Most of this capacity is held by Saudi Arabia.   OPEC is concerned by unrest in Egypt but sees no need for an immediate boost in its output as there is no shortage of oil, the group's top producer Saudi Arabia and its leading official said on Monday.   U.S. crude inventories likely rose 2.8 million barrels last week on higher imports, while colder weather drew down distillate stockpiles by 1.2 million barrels, a Reuters poll of analysts showed.   The industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will issue its weekly data on U.S. oil inventories later on Tuesday, followed by the government's Energy Information Administration report on Wednesday. (Editing by Himani Sarkar)   2011-02-01 05:37:55 |
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krisluke
Supreme |
01-Feb-2011 12:04
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South Korea says North summit possible if talks go well
By Jack Kim
  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday held out the possibility of a leaders' summit with rival North Korea if planned inter-Korean dialogue goes well, saying he had high hopes for their first talks in months.   The two Koreas have agreed to discuss November's attack by the North on a southern island and an attack in March on a South Korean naval vessel which Seoul has blamed on the North, helping to ease tension on the peninsula and opening the way for the possible resumption of six-party aid-for-disarmament talks.   The two attacks killed 50 people.   Seoul has suggested preliminary military talks take place at the Panmunjom truce village on February 11. The talks are meant to set the agenda for a more senior meeting, possibly at ministerial level.   The South has also proposed separate political talks to gauge Pyongyangy's sincerity about denuclearisation, the key component of stalled aid-for-disarmament talks which the North walked out of two years ago.   The North has yet to respond to the proposal for bilateral nuclear talks.   " I don't deny it," Lee said when asked during a live television interview if progress at upcoming talks could possibly lead to a summit between the rival Koreas' leaders. " We can have a summit if needed."   Lee cut off a decade of unconditional aid to the North when he took office in 2008, angering Pyongyang, and demanded the isolated neighbour end its nuclear programmes if it wanted Seoul to get back to commercial exchange and giving aid.   Lee said he has high expectations that the North will abandon the path it had taken in the past of staging hostile acts to raise tensions, then seeking dialogue with the South to win concessions.   " I believe this is a good opportunity for the North, that it is engaging in dialogue with the South at this point."   (Editing by Jeremy Laurence and Nick Macfie) |
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krisluke
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01-Feb-2011 12:03
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Google launches Twitter workaround for Egypt
By Alexei Oreskovic
  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc launched a special service to allow people in Egypt to send Twitter messages by dialling a phone number and leaving a voicemail, as Internet access remains cut off in the country amid anti-government protests.   " Like many people we've been glued to the news unfolding in Egypt and thinking of what we could do to help people on the ground," read a post on Google's official corporate blog on Monday.   The service, which Google said was developed with engineers from Twitter, allows people to dial a telephone number and leave a voicemail. The voicemail is automatically translated into an audio file message that is sent on Twitter using the identifying tag #egypt, Google said.   Google said in the blog post, titled " Some weekend work that will (hopefully) enable more Egyptians to be heard," that no Internet connection is needed to use the service.   It listed three phone numbers for people to call to use the service.   Internet social networking services like Twitter and Facebook have been important tools of communications for protesters in Egypt who have taken to the streets since last week to demonstrate against the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak.   Internet service has been suspended around the country and phone text messaging has been disabled.   A source familiar with the matter said Google, whose corporate motto is " Don't Be Evil," was not taking sides in the crisis in Egypt, but was simply supporting access to information as it has done with other services such as video website YouTube.   YouTube has been streaming live coverage of Al Jazeera's broadcasts of the events in Egypt.   Dozens of the so-called speak-to-tweet messages were featured on Twitter on Monday. The messages ranged from a few seconds to several minutes and featured people identifying themselves as Egyptians and describing the situations in various parts of the country.   " The government is spreading rumours of fear and of burglary and of violence," said one of the messages from an English speaker. " The only incidence of theft and burglary are done by the police themselves."   Google listed the following numbers for people to use the service: +16504194196 or +390662207294 or +97316199855.   (Editing by Bill Trott and Christopher Wilson) |
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krisluke
Supreme |
01-Feb-2011 12:01
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Egyptians seek million-strong march to oust Mubarak
  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's anti-government protesters, scenting victory after President Hosni Mubarak agreed to discuss sweeping political reforms, rallied support for what they hope can be a million-strong march for democracy on Tuesday.   Mubarak's newly appointed vice-president began talks with opposition figures and the army declared the protesters demands " legitimate" and said it would hold its fire.   But protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where thousands kept vigil through the night in defiance of a curfew, vowed to continue their campaign until the 82-year-old Mubarak quit.   " The only thing we will accept from him is that he gets on a plane and leaves," said 45-year-old lawyer Ahmed Helmi.   The United States and other Western powers which have backed Mubarak throughout his 30 years of rule, have demanded he submit to free elections. Even if he holds out against the calls for his resignation, it seems unlikely he could win a vote.   At least 140 people have died since demonstrations began last Tuesday, inspired in part by Tunisians' overthrow of their ageing strongman after similar protests focussing on economic hardships and frustration with political oppression.   The army's pledge to hold its fire was seen as tipping the scales against Mubarak. " Mubarak has become a liability for the institution of the army," Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics said. " And so it is becoming more difficult by the day for Mubarak to remain in office."   For the military establishment, which has run Egypt since its officers ousted British-backed King Farouk in 1952, the aim may be to provide reforms that preserve military influence.   For Washington and Mubarak's allies in Europe, as well as Israel, attention will focus on how far Islamist groups, notably the hitherto banned Muslim Brotherhood, can gain power in any new Egyptian political system.   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, used to calm on his southern border since a 1979 peace treaty with Cairo, said Egypt could turn into the kind of militant theocracy installed in Iran that same year.   BROTHERHOOD SAYS ALL MUBARAK MEN MUST GO   The Brotherhood, which says it wants a pluralist democracy, has taken a cautious approach to joining in protests led by the young and the urban professional classes.   But it said on Monday it was calling on people to continue protests until the whole establishment departed -- " including the president, his party, his ministers and his parliament."   In the second city, Alexandria, thousands of people gathered near the main railway station, many with food and blankets, saying they would join Tuesday's " march of a million."   Officials said rail services would be disrupted on Tuesday by curfew orders, which may keep some people away from protests.   Newly-appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman appeared on state television on Monday to say Mubarak had asked him to begin talks with all political forces on constitutional and other reforms. The channel later said talks had begun.   Suleiman, an intelligence chief named on Saturday, also said a new government sworn in by Mubarak on Monday would fight unemployment, inflation and corruption.   The United States said Mubarak must also revoke the emergency law under which he has ruled since 1981. Washington has sent a special envoy, former ambassador to Cairo Frank Wisner, to meet Egyptian leaders.   " The way Egypt looks and operates must change," said Robert Gibbs, spokesman for President Barack Obama.   Western powers have been caught off guard by the speed with which Mubarak's police state has been pushed back by furious but unarmed citizens. Some analysts believe the army is now seeking a face-saving way to have Mubarak leave.   A presidential election due in September might give Mubarak the opportunity simply to say he will not run again. But such a tactic may underestimate the desire on the street to see him go. " It won't work. These are stalling tactics. I don't think Mubarak quite realises the gravity of the situation," said Faysal Itani of Exclusive Analysis. " If this deadlock goes on much longer there could be a further breakdown of order."   At Cairo University, politics professor Hassan Nafaa said: " This all aims to gain time, calm the mood on the street, drive the protesters away and diminish the revolution ... The president must end his rule and leave, there is no alternative."   Foreign governments, meanwhile, scrambled to ensure the safety of their nationals trapped by the unrest in Egypt.   Companies, from gas drillers to supermarkets, also pulled out staff as confrontation brought economic life to a halt. Financial markets and banks were closed for a second day.   Internationally, Europe's benchmark Brent crude oil hit $101 a barrel on fears the unrest could spread to oil producing states like Saudi Arabia. Smaller Arab countries such as Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Jordan were all mentioned by analysts as candidates for popular expressions of discontent.   Moody's downgraded Egypt's credit rating to Ba2 with a negative outlook from Ba1, saying the government might damage its weak finances by increasing social spending.   (Additional reporting by Andrew Hammond, Patrick Werr, Dina Zayed, Marwa Awad, Shaimaa Fayed, Yasmine Saleh, and Alison Williams in Cairo, writing by Alastair Macdonald editing by Myra MacDonald) |
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