Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 03-01-2013.

Euro-area stocks declined from a 17- month high amid concern a budget deal will fail to reduce the U.S. government’s fiscal deficit. Swiss shares rallied after the New Year holiday.

K+S AG (SDF) retreated 3.5 percent after Exane BNP Paribas lowered its price forecast for the potash maker’s shares. UBS AG (UBSN) and Cie. Financiere Richemont SA each rallied more than 4 percent, leading Swiss stocks higher. Alcatel-Lucent SA (ALU) climbed 9.8 percent as Credit Suisse Group AG raised its recommendation on the maker of telecommunication equipment.

The Euro Stoxx 50 Index of the euro area’s biggest companies fell 0.4 percent to 2,701.22 at the close of trading. The broader Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.5 percent to its highest since February 2011 as the Swiss

National benchmark indexes gained in 15 of the 18 western- European markets.

FTSE 100 6,047.34 +19.97 +0.33% CAC 40 3,721.17 -12.76 -0.34% DAX 7,756.44 -22.34 -0.29%

K+S slid 3.5 percent to 33.89 euros. Exane cut its share- price forecast 5 percent to 29.50 euros and left its recommendation at underperform, meaning investors should sell the shares. Citigroup Inc. lowered its rating to neutral from buy, saying that a deal by U.S. and Canadian companies to supply potash to China was negative for European producers.

UBS, Switzerland’s biggest bank, jumped 4.1 percent to 14.85 Swiss francs. Richemont, the world’s second-largest luxury-goods company, rallied 5.7 percent to 75.50 francs. Swatch Group AG (UHR) climbed 6.4 percent to 490.50 francs. Sales of goods including jewelry and watches in Hong Kong jumped 14 percent in November from a year earlier, the city’s government said today. They declined 2.9 percent in October.

Alcatel-Lucent surged 9.8 percent to 1.16 euros after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to neutral from underperform. Alcatel’s debt agreement means the company will maintain sufficient gross cash to remain a viable business in the long term, Credit Suisse wrote in a note.

Next Plc (NXT) advanced 2.7 percent to 3,873 pence. The U.K.’s second-largest clothing retailer said full-year profit will be 611 million pounds ($987 million) to 625 million pounds. The company had forecast pretax profit for the fiscal year ending this month of 590 million pounds to 620 million pounds.

Wacker Chemie AG (WCH) rose 5.1 percent to 53.47 euros after UBS added the German maker of polysilicon to the list of its most preferred chemical stocks in Europe. The price of the material used to make solar panels climbed, SK Securities Co. said.

Transocean Ltd. surged 11 percent to 44.62 francs, its biggest jump since September 2011, after a person familiar with the matter said the offshore drilling-rig operator will settle all federal claims over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for about $1.5 billion.

U.S. stock futures fell amid increasing speculation the U.S. budget deal won’t reduce the deficit fast enough.
Global Stocks:
Hang Seng 23,398.6+86.62 +0.37%
FTSE  6,032.73+5.36 +0.09%
CAC  3,717.09-16.84 -0.45%
DAX 7,760.54-18.24 -0.23%

Stock markets in Japan and China were closed today.
Crude oil $92.85 -0.29%
Gold  $1678.70 -0.60%

Upgrades:
Cisco Systems (CSCO) upgraded to Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts; ests raised and tgt raised to $24 from $21
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) upgraded to Mkt Underperform  from Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
Bank of America (BAC) upgraded to Mkt Underperform  from Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
Citigroup (C) upgraded to Mkt Underperform  from Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
Morgan Stanley (MS) upgraded to Mkt Underperform  from Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
Goldman Sachs (GS) upgraded to Mkt Underperform  from Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
Downgrades:
UnitedHealth (UNH) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Euro-area stocks declined, retreating from a 17-month high, amid concern a budget deal will fail to reduce the U.S. government’s deficit, while Swiss shares rallied after the New Year holiday.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the budget legislation on Jan. 1, breaking an impasse over how to prevent more than $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts from coming into force. The agreement will delay by two months the automatic spending reductions. Republican lawmakers abandoned their efforts to add further reductions to the deal.

President Barack Obama signed the bill into law. Republicans are now planning to use the need to raise the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling to force Obama to accept cuts to entitlement programs such as Medicare.

K+S AG  retreated 2.3 percent after Exane BNP Paribas lowered its forecast for the company’s shares.

Alcatel-Lucent SA climbed 1 percent after Credit Suisse Group AG raised its recommendation on the maker of telecommunication equipment.

UBS, Switzerland’s biggest bank, jumped 3.8 percent to 14.81 Swiss francs. Richemont, the second-largest luxury-goods company, rallied 5.3 percent to 75.15 francs. Swatch Group AG the biggest watchmaker, climbed 4.2 percent to 480.50 francs.

Asian stocks rose, pushing a regional equities index to its highest level in 17 months, after an expansion of U.S. manufacturing and China’s services industries fueled optimism in the global economic recovery.

Nikkei 225 Closed

S&P/ASX 200 4,740.68 +34.74 +0.74%

Shanghai Composite Closed

Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second-largest mining company, climbed 2.4 percent in Sydney as metals prices rose.

China Communications Services Corp., a Beijing-based telecommunications support firm, gained 1.7 percent in Hong Kong.

Asian stocks rose, heading for their highest close since August 2011, as the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation averting some of $600 billion in automatic tax increases and spending cuts.

Nikkei 225 Closed

S&P/ASX 200 4,705.94 +56.99 +1.23%

Shanghai Composite Closed

Australian gold producer Newcrest Mining Ltd. added 3.6 percent as the precious metal climbed.

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s biggest mining company, advanced 2 percent in Sydney, leading gains among raw-material producers, after China’s manufacturing expanded for a third month.

Techtronic Industries Co., a maker of power tools that counts North America as its biggest market, gained 3.6 percent in Hong Kong as the Hang Seng Index headed for its best first session of the year since 2009.

European stocks rallied to the highest in 22 months as U.S. lawmakers passed a budget bill that avoided most scheduled tax increases threatening a recovery in the world’s largest economy.

Rio Tinto Group and Volkswagen AG (VOW) climbed at least 4 percent each to lead mining companies and automakers higher as Chinese manufacturing grew. ArcelorMittal gained the most in 11 weeks after selling a stake in its Canadian unit for $1.1 billion. BAE Systems Plc (BA/) soared 4 percent as the U.S. budget deal delayed defense spending cuts.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) jumped 2 percent to 285.33 at the close of trading, the highest level since Feb. 28, 2011.

The number of shares changing hands in Stoxx 600 companies today was 29 percent higher than the 30-day average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Germany’s DAX Index advanced 2.2 percent to a five-year high and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 (UKX) climbed above 6,000 for the first time since July 2011. The Swiss market was closed for a holiday.

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, climbed 4 percent to 179 euros. Porsche SE gained 3.1 percent to 63.61 euros and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) added 4.1 percent to 75.93 euros.

ArcelorMittal (MT), the world’s biggest steelmaker, gained 4.5 percent to 13.51 euros, the largest increase since Oct. 17. China Steel Corp. and Posco led a group that agreed to pay $1.1 billion for a 15 percent stake in ArcelorMittal Mines Canada Inc. to secure supplies of iron ore.

BAE Systems climbed 4 percent to 350.5 pence. The U.K. military-aircraft manufacturer, which gets about 45 percent of revenue from the U.S., may benefit from the budget bill’s two- month delay to scheduled spending cuts to military programs.

A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S advanced 4.4 percent to 44,480 kroner as the head of north Asia operations for its container shipping unit said trade between Asia and Europe will grow. Demand for trade on the Asia-Europe route is expected to grow until Lunar New Year in February as Chinese manufacturers produce and export more, Tim Smith said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Hong Kong today.

Beginning of the session significantly higher than the previous close of the trading day, the major stock indexes were able to continue their strengthening, thus ending the session near the maximum

Recall that the reason for today's optimism in the markets is the fact that the U.S. authorities were able to avoid the "budget cliff", taking on the eve of the relevant law.

However, the decision does not completely eliminate the problem, because it does not take into account the issue to reduce costs. To resolve the matter the ruling party of the USA, according to the agreements, have two more months. Against this background of uncertainty in the markets in the near future will continue.

Published statistics significant impact on the dynamics of trade was not there. Published data recorded growth of ISM manufacturing index in December to a level 50.7 points versus 49.5 points value of the November forecast and 50.2 points. In parallel to the data released by the cost of construction, which in November fell 0.3%. Expected growth rate of 0.6% after rising 1.4% in October.

All components of the index DOW grow. At the moment, the leader shares in Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, +5.19%) and Caterpillar (CAT, +4.16%).

Among the sectors of the S & P currently in the red is just the health sector (-0.9%). The maximum growth rate of 2.4% demonstrates the technology sector and the sector conglomerates.

At the close:

Dow +308.41 13,412.55 +2.35%

Nasdaq +92.75 3,112.26 +3.07%

S & P +36.23 1,462.42 +2.54%

Change % Change Last

Nikkei 225 Closed

S&P/ASX 200 4,705.94 +56.99 +1.23%

Shanghai Composite Closed

FTSE 100 6,027.37 +129.56 +2.20%

CAC 40 3,733.93 +92.86 +2.55%

DAX 7,778.78 +166.39 +2.19%

Dow +308.41 13,412.55 +2.35%

Nasdaq +92.75 3,112.26 +3.07%

S&P +36.23 1,462.42 +2.54%

00:00Japan Bank holiday-

00:00China Bank holiday-

01:00China Non-Manufacturing PMIDecember 55.656.1

07:00United Kingdom Nationwide house price indexDecember 0.0%+0.1%

07:00United Kingdom Nationwide house price index, y/yDecember -1.2%-1.0%

08:00United Kingdom Halifax house price indexDecember 0.0%+0.1%

08:00United Kingdom Halifax house price index 3m Y/YDecember -1.2%

08:00Switzerland KOF Leading IndicatorDecember 1.501.39

08:30Switzerland Manufacturing PMIDecember 48.548.7

08:55Germany Unemployment ChangeDecember 511

08:55Germany Unemployment Rate s.a.December 6.9%6.9%

09:00Eurozone M3 money supply, adjusted y/yNovember +3.9%+3.8%

09:30United Kingdom PMI ConstructionDecember 49.349.6

09:30United Kingdom BOE Credit Conditions SurveyIV quarter

13:15U.S. ADP Employment ReportDecember 118134

13:30U.S. Initial Jobless Claims- 350356

19:00U.S. FOMC meeting minutes-