Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 07-03-2013.

Most European stocks advanced as the Federal Reserve said the U.S. economy is growing and the European Central Bank and Bank of England kept their benchmark interest rates on hold.

The ECB kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.75 percent today, as forecast by 56 of 61 economists in a survey. The central bank predicted the euro-area economy will shrink 0.5 percent this year, more than the 0.3 percent contraction it forecast three months ago.

The Bank of England also left its key rate unchanged, along with its four-year-old bond-purchase program. The Monetary Policy Committee maintained its target for quantitative easing at 375 billion pounds ($564 billion), as forecast by 29 of 39 economists in a survey. The remainder had predicted an expansion of at least 25 billion pounds.

National benchmark indexes gained in 13 of the 18 western- European markets. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index added 0.2 percent and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.5 percent. Germany’s DAX increased 0.3 percent.

Aggreko surged 10 percent to 1,939 pence, its biggest gain since October 2008, as the company forecast “double digit” average revenue growth over the next five years.

Carrefour climbed 2.9 percent to 22 euros, its highest price since July 2011. Annual recurring operating income fell 2.6 percent to 2.14 billion euros ($2.8 billion), beating the 2.07 billion-euro average analyst estimate.

Adidas AG climbed 6.6 percent to 76.38 euros, the highest price since the shares started trading in November 1995. The world’s second-largest sporting-goods maker forecast higher sales and profit this year and raised its dividend by 35 percent as it targets fast-growing emerging markets.

Aviva plummeted 13 percent to 314.8 pence, its biggest drop since March 2009. The U.K.’s second-largest insurer by market value said it won’t pay bonuses to its executive directors or award pay rises for 2013 after cutting its second-half dividend by 44 percent. The company will pay a final dividend of 9 pence a share for 2012, down from 16 pence in the previous year.

Davide Campari-Milano SpA slipped 2.7 percent to 5.88 euros. The maker of Skyy vodka reported an unexpected drop in annual profit amid declining sales in Italy and Brazil and said this year will also be “challenging.”

U.S. stock futures roseas the number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits fell to a six-week low, showing further improvement in the labor market.

Global Stocks:

Most European stocks rose, as many market participants are awaiting a decision on interest rates, the Bank of England and the ECB.

Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) rose 0.2% to 293.97.

Note that, according to most experts predicted, the ECB will keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.75%, while the Bank of England, it will remain at 0.5%. As economists suggest that the volume of the program to purchase assets of the Bank of England will remain at 375 billion pounds.

Aggreko value rose 11% to 1.956 pence, while showing the biggest gain since March 2009, after the company said that in the next five years, the average income growth is likely to be "double".

Carrefour shares rose 3.6% 22.15 euros after it became known that the annual current operating income fell by 2.6% to 2.14 billion euros, exceeding the forecasts of experts at the level of 2.070 billion euros.

Cost Adidas AG rose 3.7% to 74.33 euros, reaching the highest price since November 1995. The second-largest sporting goods maker said profit and forecast increase in sales this year, and also said to increase dividends by 35%.

Shares of Aviva (AV /) fell by 12% to 315.5 pence, showing the biggest drop since March 30, 2009. The second-largest UK insurer by market value, said it will not pay bonuses to its executive directors or raise fees in 2013 after cutting its second half dividend by 44 percent. The company will pay a final dividend at the rate of 9 pence per share in 2012, compared to 16 pence in the previous year.

To date:

FTSE 100 6,455.59 +27.95 +0.43%

CAC 40 3,792.92 +19.16 +0.51%

DAX 7,941.77 +22.44 +0.28%

Asian shares dropped, with the regional benchmark index snapping two days of gains, led by Samsung Electronics Co. and Australian banks. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average pared gains after the Bank of Japan rejected a call for an immediate start to open-ended asset purchases.

Nikkei 225 11,968.08 +35.81 +0.30%

Hang Seng 22,771.44 -6.40 -0.03%

S&P/ASX 200 5,109.2 -7.59 -0.15%

Shanghai Composite 2,324.29 -22.89 -0.98%

Samsung, which yesterday announced it will invest 10.4 billion yen ($111 million) in troubled Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp., fell 2.6 percent in Seoul.

Sharp tumbled 7.9 percent.

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., Australia’s No. 3 lender by market value, slid 0.8 percent after announcing plans to cut jobs and as the nation reported a bigger-than- expected trade deficit.

Honda Motor Co., Japan’s second-biggest automaker by market value, pared gains to 0.6 percent in Tokyo.

Asian stocks climbed, with the regional benchmark index touching the highest level since August 2011, after U.S. shares surged to a record as the service industry expanded at the fastest pace in a year and investors bet central banks will continue stimulus measures.

Nikkei 225 11,932.27 +248.82 +2.13%

Hang Seng 22,777.84 +217.34 +0.96%

S&P/ASX 200 5,116.79 +41.43 +0.82%

Shanghai Composite 2,347.18 +20.87 +0.90%

Toyota Motor Corp., a carmaker that gets 25 percent of its sales in North America, rose 2 percent in Tokyo.

Sharp Corp. jumped 14 percent as the unprofitable Japanese television maker is said to be in talks to secure investment from Samsung Electronics Co.

ZTE Corp. surged 7.1 percent in Hong Kong after China’s second-largest mobile-phone equipment maker said it’s collaborating with Intel Corp. on next-generation smartphones.

European stocks fell from a 4 1/2- year high, with the benchmark index reversing gains in the last hour of trading, as companies from Henkel AG to Legal & General Group Plc posted earnings.

National benchmark indexes dropped in 14 of the 18 western European markets. Germany’s DAX added 0.6 percent and France’s CAC 40 retreated 0.4 percent, while the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was little changed.

Sacyr slipped 3.6 percent to 1.65 euros after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said it sold a 2.79 percent stake in the Spanish builder at 1.64 euros per share. The bank purchased the shares from Austral BV before reselling them to investors.

Axel Springer AG tumbled 5.9 percent to 34.13 euros after Europe’s largest newspaper publisher forecast lower profit in 2013 because of spending to accelerate its shift to digital publications amid a declining print business. The owner of Germany’s largest tabloid also reported a 5.8 percent increase in 2012 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Henkel rose 2.4 percent to 70.33 euros, the highest price since at least August 1992. The world’s biggest adhesives company reported a 4 percent increase in like-for-like revenue for the fourth-quarter, topping analyst estimates for a 3.2 percent gain. Henkel also forecast sales growth of as much as 5 percent and higher profitability this year.

Legal & General gained 3.3 pence to 166 pence, the highest price in almost six years, as the largest manager of U.K. pension assets raised its dividend 20 percent to 7.65 pence a share after demand for retirement products boosted sales, cash flow and profit.

Admiral Group Plc rallied 5.3 percent to 1,334 pence after the owner of the confused.com website reported a 15 percent increase in full-year pretax profit to 345 million pounds ($519 million). That beat the 331.7 million-pound average estimate of analysts.

Vodafone Group Plc rallied 6.8 percent to 180 pence, the biggest increase since February 2009, after people familiar with the situation said Verizon Communications is seeking to resolve its relationship with the U.K. company and has weighed options that range from ending its wireless venture with Vodafone to a full merger of the two phone companies. Vodafone owns a 45 percent stake in the Verizon Wireless subsidiary which is is worth about $115 billion, according to analysts.

U.S. stocks rose, extending the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s record high, as a private report showed companies took on more workers than estimated and the Federal Reserve said the economy is growing.

Companies added 198,000 workers in February, according to a private report based on payrolls. The increase in employment followed a revised 215,000 gain the prior month, figures from the ADP Research Institute showed today. The median forecast of economists called for an advance of 170,000.

A Labor Department report this week may show private payrolls rose by 170,000 last month, according to the Bloomberg survey median. Orders to U.S. factories fell in January, weighed down by a slump in demand for military hardware and commercial aircraft, the Commerce Department reported today.

Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke described the job market as “generally weak” in testimony to a Senate committee on Feb. 26. The U.S. economy expanded at a modest to moderate pace across most of the country amid rising consumer demand for homes and autos, the Fed said in its Beige Book report, a summary and analysis of economic conditions in 12 U.S. districts.

Raw-material, financial and health-care companies had the largest gains among 10 groups in the S&P 500, while telephone and consumer staples fell the most. Bank of America (ВАС) rallied 3.2 percent to $11.92. Alcoa Inc. (АА), the largest U.S. aluminum producer, added 2.6 percent to $8.57.

At the close:

S&P 500 1,541.46 +1.67 +0.11%

NASDAQ 3,222.36 -1.77 -0.05%

Dow 14,296.24 +42.47 +0.30%

Change % Change Last

Nikkei 225 11,932.27 +248.82 +2.13%

Hang Seng 22,777.84 +217.34 +0.96%

S&P/ASX 200 5,116.79 +41.43 +0.82%

Shanghai Composite 2,347.18 +20.87 +0.90%

CAC 40 3,773.76 -13.43 -0.35%

DAX 7,919.33 +49.02 +0.62%

S&P 500 1,541.46 +1.67 +0.11%

NASDAQ 3,222.36 -1.77 -0.05%

Dow 14,296.24 +42.47 +0.30%