Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 03-04-2012.

European stocks dropped, paring the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index’s biggest two-day rally since February, as Spanish bond yields rose.

In Europe, a report said that registered unemployment in Spain, where more than half of young people are out of work, rose for the eighth month in March as the government deepened spending cuts and the economy tipped back into a recession. The number of people registering for jobless benefits increased by 38,769 to 4.75 million, the Labor Ministry in Madrid said today.

The yield on Spain’s 10-year bonds climbed 10 basis points to 5.45 percent. The nation’s debt will reach 79.8 percent of gross domestic product this year, up from 68.5 percent last year, the government said in its budget today.

National benchmark indexes fell in every western-European market apart from Denmark and Iceland. France’s CAC 40 Index lost 1.6 percent and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index slipped 0.6 percent. Germany’s DAX Index slid 1.1 percent. Spain’s IBEX posted the largest decline, falling 2.7 percent.

Popolare di Milano tumbled 6.6 percent to 38.2 euro cents. A gauge of lenders contributed the most to the Stoxx 600’s retreat today. Banco Santander SA, Spain’s largest lender, retreated 4 percent to 5.55 euros. Intesa Sanpaolo SpA dropped 4.7 percent to 1.27 euros and UniCredit SpA, Italy’s biggest bank, decreased 5 percent to 3.52 euros.

Ferrovial, the builder and airport operator, slumped 6.4 percent to 8.24 euros, its lowest price since May 2010, after Spain’s government capped corporate-tax deductions on financial costs to 30 percent of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Lonza gained 1.6 percent to 47.85 Swiss francs after it named Ridinger, who has worked at BASE SE and Henkel AG, as chief executive officer with effect from May 1.

UCB SA gained 1.5 percent to 34.33 euros. The Belgian drugmaker said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Neupro medicine for the treatment of advanced stage idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Actelion Ltd., Switzerland’s largest biotechnology company, increased 2.7 percent to 34.46 francs as Credit Suisse Group AG raised the stock to outperform, the equivalent of buy, from neutral.

U.S. stocks fell, a day after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose to the highest level since 2008, as factory orders increased less than forecast and investors awaited minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting.

Factory bookings in February rose 1.3 percent after a revised 1.1 percent decline in January, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The median of 60 economists’ projections called for a 1.5 percent advance. Orders excluding transportation equipment increased by the most in five months.

The Federal Open Market Committee will release minutes today of its March 13 meeting, when policy makers raised their assessment of the economy and repeated that “exceptionally low” interest rates may be needed through late 2014.

Dow 13,212.98     -51.51 -0.39%, Nasdaq       3,115.25       -4.45   -0.14%, S&P 500    1,412.94       -6.10         -0.43%

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) declined 1.8 percent to $45.31 while Goldman Sachs Group Inc. fell 1.8 percent to $122.70. Morgan Stanley dropped 1.7 percent to $19.48.

Netflix decreased 1.1 percent to $112.74 after Barclays cut its rating from overweight to equalweight, citing competitive threats. The rating means the stock is expected to perform in line with its sector over a 12-month period.

Apple advanced 1.4 percent to $626.99. The world’s most valuable company could surge to $1,000 by 2014, Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos., said in a note to clients today. He raised his 12-month price target to $910 from $718. Brian White, an analyst at Topeka Capital Markets, yesterday set an estimate of $1,001.

Urban Outfitters Inc. gained 3.4 percent to $30.55. The operator of its namesake, Anthropologie and Free People brands stores said same-store sales in the first quarter climbed, exceeding analysts’ estimates. The stock was raised to neutral from sell at Citigroup Inc.

Resistance 3:1440 (high of 2008)

Resistance 2:1420 (area of Mar 27 high)

Resistance 1:1414 (session high)

Current price: 1409,00

Support 1:1407 (session low, support line from Mar 29)

Support 2:1400 (area of Apr 2 low)

Support 3:1386 (Mar 29 low)

U.S. stock-index futures are mixed as investors awaited a report on factory orders. A Commerce Department report at 14:00 GMT will probably show that factory orders rose 1.5% in February, according to the median of economists’ projections. The Federal Open Market Committee will release minutes today of its March 13 meeting, when policy makers raised their assessment of the economy and repeated that “exceptionally low” interest rates may be needed through late 2014.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei  10,050.39 -59.48 -0.59%

Hang Seng 20,790.98 +268.72 +1.31%

FTSE  5,861.42 -13.47 -0.23%

CAC  3,436.73 -26.18 -0.76%

DAX 7,036.74 -19.91 -0.28%

Crude oil $104.83 (-0.4%).

Gold $1677.60 (-0,1%).

Asian stocks rose for a third day as signs of strength in the world’s two biggest economies, the U.S. and China, bolstered confidence in the global recovery. Japanese shares fell as the yen’s appreciation damped the earnings outlook for the country’s exporters.

Nikkei 225 10,050.39 -59.48 -0.59%

Hang Seng 20,790.98 +268.72 +1.31%

S&P/ASX 200 4,337.04 +7.76 +0.18%

Shanghai Composite Closed

Billabong International Ltd., a surfwear maker that gets about half of its sales in the Americas, advanced 0.7 percent in Sydney after the Institute for Supply Management’s U.S. factory index rose more than forecast.

Tencent Holdings Ltd., China’s biggest Internet company, advanced 2.4 percent after a gauge of mainland service companies rose to a six-month high.

Honda Motor Co. and other Japanese exporters fell after the yen rose to a three-week high against the dollar.

PT Bank Danamon Indonesia surged 41 percent on a buyout offer.

Asian stocks pared an early advance, with the regional benchmark index swinging between gains and losses, as speculation China won’t ease lending curbs countered better-than-estimated U.S. consumer sentiment and spending reports.

Nikkei 225 10,109.87 +26.31 +0.26%

Hang Seng 20,522.26 -33.32 -0.16%

S&P/ASX 200 4,329.27 -5.97 -0.14%

Shanghai Composite Closed

China Resources Land Ltd., a state-owned developer, slid 1.3 percent in Hong Kong, reversing an earlier increase, after Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said policy makers will continue to take steps to stabilize prices.

Honda Motor Co., a Japanese carmaker that gets 44 percent of its sales in North America, added 2.5 percent after U.S. consumer sentiment climbed to its highest level in more than a year.

NGK Insulators Ltd. slumped 9.2 percent in Tokyo after saying it may not be able to meet demand for batteries from a regional Japanese utility.

European stocks climbed the most in almost three weeks, erasing earlier losses, as reports showed manufacturing expanded more than forecast in the U.S. and China.

Manufacturing in the U.S. expanded more than forecast in March. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index climbed to 53.4 from 52.4 in February, data showed. Economists had estimated an increase to 53. Readings above 50 signal growth.

China’s Purchasing Managers’ Index compiled by the logistics federation and the National Bureau of Statistics rose to 53.1 in March from 51 in February.

National benchmark indexes advanced in 12 out of 18 western-European markets. France’s CAC 40 Index climbed 1.1 percent, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index rose 1.9 percent while Germany’s DAX Index rallied 1.6 percent.

Oriflame paced advancing shares, gaining 2.6 percent to 261.50 kronor after Coty offered to buy Avon, a door-to-door cosmetics seller, for $23.25 a share in cash. Oriflame sells cosmetics at parties hosted in private homes.

Novo Nordisk jumped 5.6 percent to 815.50 kroner. The world’s biggest insulin maker said it will meet its 2014 target date to begin selling an obesity drug, Victoza, Copenhagen-based newspaper Borsen reported, citing an interview with Chief Science Officer Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen.

Stada Arzneimittel AG gained 4.7 percent to 25.78 euros, Merck KGaA climbed 4.3 percent to 86.55 euros and UCB SA advanced 4.6 percent to 33.83 euros.

A gauge of mining stocks was the second best-performer on the Stoxx 600 Index, led by U.K.-listed companies. Fresnillo Plc added 4.1 percent to 66 pence, Rio Tinto Group gained 3.2 percent to 110 pence and BHP Billiton Ltd. climbed 3 percent to 57.5 pence.

Change % Change Last

Nikkei 225 10,109.87 +26.31 +0.26%

Hang Seng 20,522.26 -33.32 -0.16%

S&P/ASX 200 4,329.27 -5.97 -0.14%

Shanghai Composite Closed

FTSE 100 5,874.89 +106.44 +1.85%

CAC 40 3,462.91 +39.10 +1.14%

DAX 7,056.65 +109.82 +1.58%

Dow 13,264.49 +52.45 +0.40%

Nasdaq 3,119.70 +28.13 +0.91%

S&P 500 1,418.90 +10.43 +0.74%