Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 17-04-2012.

European stocks gained the most since November as demand increased at a Spanish debt sale, German investor confidence topped forecasts and the International Monetary Fund boosted its global growth outlook.

Spain sold 3.18 billion euros of bills today, compared with a maximum target of 3 billion euros the Treasury set for the sale. The average 12-month yield was 2.623 percent, compared with 1.418 percent at the last auction on March 20, the Bank of Spain said. The Treasury also sold 18-month bills at 3.11 percent, compared with 1.71 percent last month.

German investor confidence unexpectedly rose for a fifth month in April to the highest in almost two years, suggesting Europe’s largest economy can weather the resurgent debt crisis in the euro region’s periphery. The ZEW Center for European Economic Research’s index of investor and analyst expectations, which aims to predict economic developments six months in advance, climbed to 23.4 from 22.3 in March.

The world economy will expand 3.5 percent this year and 4.1 percent in 2013, the Washington-based IMF said today in its World Economic Outlook, raising forecasts made in January from 3.3 percent for 2012 and 4 percent for next year.

National benchmark indexes advanced in all of the 18 western European markets. France’s CAC 40 Index climbed 2.6 percent, while Germany’s DAX rose 2.5 percent. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 (UKX) added 1.8 percent.

A gauge of bank shares gained 4 percent today as Banco Popolare, Italy’s fifth-largest lender, increased 8.9 percent to 1.15 euros. Barclays, the U.K.’s second-biggest bank by assets, increased 4.9 percent to 221.2 pence. BNP Paribas SA, France’s largest bank, rallied 6.7 percent to 30.94 euros and Societe Generale SA, the country’s second-biggest lender, rose 8.2 percent to 18.52 euros.

Greek banks jumped amid optimism the government is close to completing its plans to restructure the country’s banks. EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA surged 7.3 percent to 71.9 euro cents and National Bank of Greece SA climbed 1.1 percent to 1.88 euros.

Danone advanced 2.8 percent to 53 euros after reporting higher first-quarter sales, led by bottled water and baby food. Revenue rose to 5.12 billion euros from 4.76 billion euros a year earlier, the company said. That beat the 5.05 billion-euro average estimate of 11 analysts.

Marks & Spencer Group Plc slid 2.5 percent to 358.5 pence. The U.K.’s largest clothing retailer said sales of general merchandise at U.K. stores open at least a year fell 2.8 percent in the 13 weeks ended March 31. The average estimate of 10 analysts was for an unchanged performance.

U.S. stocks rose, following a two- day drop in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, after the International Monetary Fund raised its global growth forecast and concern about Europe’s crisis eased as Spain’s bonds gained.

Equities rallied as the IMF raised its forecast for global growth in 2012 to 3.5 percent from 3.3 percent and said the U.S. will expand 2.1 percent. German investor confidence unexpectedly rose and Spain sold 12-month and 18-month bills a day after borrowing costs climbed to the highest this year.

Dow 13,116.11     +194.70       +1.51%, Nasdaq      3,046.86       +58.46 +1.96%, S&P 500   1,390.54         +20.97 +1.53%

Coca-Cola (КО) gained 2.7 percent to $74.40. Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent has introduced smaller package sizes to attract price-conscious consumers as part of an effort to spur sales in North America.

First Solar surged 12 percent, the most in the S&P 500, to $23.36. The company will cut about 2,000 jobs in response to a deteriorating European market. Most of the jobs to be eliminated will be at a factory it’s closing in Germany and in Malaysia, where it’s idling four production lines.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. swung between gains and losses, recently rising 0.7 percent to $118.59. The fifth-biggest U.S. bank by assets reported a 23 percent decline in first-quarter profit, beating analysts’ estimates. The company boosted the dividend 31 percent. Revenue from trading bonds, currencies and commodities lagged behind JPMorgan Chase & Co.

U.S. stock-index futures maintained gains even after housing starts unexpectedly declined as declines in Spanish and Italian bond yields eased concern about Europe’s debt crisis.

Global Stocks:

Nikkei  9,464.71 -5.93 -0.06%

Hang Seng 20,562.31 -48.33 -0.23%

Shanghai Composite 2,334.98 -22.04 -0.94%

FTSE  5,727.71 +61.43 +1.08%

CAC  3,261.42 +56.14 +1.75%

DAX 6,721.49 +96.30 +1.45%

Crude oil: $104.17 (+1.20%).

Gold: $1653.60 (+0.24%).

Asian stocks fell for a second day as foreign direct investment into China dropped for a fifth month, and Spanish borrowing costs climbed to the highest level this year ahead of a debt auction by the nation today.

China Construction Bank Corp. retreated 2.6 percent in Hong Kong even as investment slipped at about half the rate forecast by economists.

Nikkei 225 9,464.71 -5.93 -0.06%

Hang Seng 20,554.15 -56.49 -0.27%

S&P/ASX 200 4,288.79 -13.55 -0.31%

Shanghai Composite 2,334.98 -22.04 -0.94%

Esprit Holdings Ltd., which depends on Europe for about 80 percent of its sales, retreated 3.6 percent as Spain prepares to sell bonds later today. Apple Inc. suppliers fell amid concern demand for the company’s products will slow.

Gree Inc., a Japanese social-network game operator, rose 9.1 percent in Tokyo after Bank of America Merrill Lynch said its domestic revenue growth is accelerating.

Asian stocks fell, with a regional benchmark index headed for its biggest drop in almost two weeks, after the cost of insuring against a Spanish default climbed and U.S. consumer confidence dropped, clouding the earnings outlook for Asia’s exporters.

Nikkei 225 9,470.64 -167.35 -1.74%

Hang Seng 20,600.46 -100.58 -0.49%

S&P/ASX 200 4,302.3 -21.01 -0.49%

Shanghai Composite 2,357.03 -2.13 -0.09%

Nintendo Co.  a manufacturer of game consoles that gets a third of its sales in Europe, fell 3.2 percent in Osaka.

James Hardie Industries SE, an Australian supplier of building materials that gets more than half of its sales from the U.S., dropped 1.2 percent in Sydney.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. declined 1 percent in Hong Kong after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was said to sell a $2.5 billion stake at a discount.

Change % Change Last

Nikkei 225 9,470.64 -167.35 -1.74%

Hang Seng 20,600.46 -100.58 -0.49%

S&P/ASX 200 4,302.3 -21.01 -0.49%

Shanghai Composite 2,357.03 -2.13 -0.09%  

FTSE 100 5,666.28 +14.49 +0.26%

CAC 40 3,205.28 +16.19 +0.51%

DAX 6,625.19 +41.29 +0.63%

Dow 12,921.41 +71.82 +0.56%

Nasdaq 2,988.40 -22.93 -0.76%

S&P 500 1,369.57 -0.69 -0.05%