Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 29-01-2013.

European stocks rose to the highest level in more than 23 months as companies reported earnings and a report showed house prices in 20 U.S. cities increased.

Royal Philips Electronics NV climbed 2.3 percent after the world’s largest lighting manufacturer reported fourth-quarter results that topped analyst estimates. William Hill Plc (WMH) gained 2.1 percent after the bookmaker reporter a jump sales.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.3 percent to 290.3 at the close in London, the highest level since Feb. 18, 2011.

National benchmark indexes climbed in 12 of the 18 western European (SXXP) markets.

FTSE 100 6,339.19 +44.78 +0.71% CAC 40 3,785.82 +4.93 +0.13% DAX 7,848.57 +15.57 +0.20%

Philips gained 2.3 percent to 22.43 euros after the world’s largest lighting manufacturer reported a 50 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and one-time items to 875 million euros. The estimate survey was for 866 million euros. Sales gained 6.7 percent.

William Hill added 2.1 percent to 374 pence after the U.K. bookmaker said full-year net revenue grew by 12 percent after experiencing a strong fourth quarter. The company, which will release final results on March 1, expects operating profit of 330 million pounds ($518 million).

3i Group Plc (III), Britain’s oldest private-equity firm, rose 3.1 percent to 266.8 pence after saying that activist investor Edward Bramson has been buying its shares.

Software AG tumbled 17 percent to 28.90 after the German infrastructure-software provider reported fourth-quarter profit of 50.7 million euros ($68 million), missing analysts’ estimates of 52.9 million euros. Revenue in the fourth quarter came in at 276 million euros compared with estimates of 289.4 million euros.

Saipem SpA (SPM) fell 3.5 percent to 30.45 euros after Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit placed 9.97 million shares in Europe’s largest oil contractor by market value on behalf of an institutional client, according to the terms obtained by Bloomberg News. The shares were sold at 30.65 euros apiece.

BT Group Plc (BT/A) fell 2.3 percent to 246.2 pence after Bank of America downgraded the U.K.’s biggest fixed-line phone company to neutral from buy saying rising costs from plans to increase sales are endangering earnings growth.

U.S. stock-index futures fell before a report on consumer confidence and a Federal Reserve two-day meeting. 

Global Stocks:

European stocks were little changed before reports that may show U.S. consumer confidence declined for a third month, while home prices increased.

German consumer confidence will increase in February due to a stable labor market and higher income expectations, Gfk SE said. The Nuremberg-based market research company forecast today that its consumer-sentiment index, based on a survey of about 2,000 people, will rise to 5.8 from a revised 5.7 in January. Economists expected a gain to 5.7 from the initial January reading of 5.6, according to the median of 34 estimates in a survey.

William Hill Plc added 4.3 percent to 382.2 pence. The U.K. bookmaker said full-year net revenue grew by 12 percent and it expects operating profit of 330 million pounds ($518 million). The company will release final results March 1.

Aixtron SE, a maker of equipment for the semiconductor industry, rose 2 percent to 10.80 euros after Liberum Capital said it sees potential for a stronger recovery in demand for the company’s products in the second half of the year.

Software plunged 14 percent to 29.91 euros. The German infrastructure-software provider reported fourth-quarter profit of 50.7 million euros, missing analysts’ estimates of 52.9 million euros. Revenue in the fourth quarter came in at 276 million euros compared with estimates of 289.4 million euros ($389 million).

FTSE 100 6,293.05 -1.36 -0.02%

CAC 40 3,769.4 -11.49 -0.30%

DAX 7,819.13 -13.87 -0.18%

Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark index headed for its biggest gain in a week, as Japan’s largest lenders jumped on speculation a recent share rally will boost profit. Australia’s market climbed after a holiday and Korean shares rebounded from yesterday’s loss.

Nikkei 225 10,866.72 +42.41 +0.39%

Hang Seng 23,655.17 -16.71 -0.07%

S&P/ASX 200 4,888.98 +53.80 +1.11%

Shanghai Composite 2,358.98 +12.47 +0.53%

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Japan’s biggest bank, rose 3.8 percent in Tokyo. Samsung C&T Corp. gained 6.8 percent in Seoul after the construction and trading company’s operating profit beat estimates.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., the world’s largest lender by market value, slid 1.9 percent in Hong Kong after a term sheet showed Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is seeking to sell a $1 billion stake in the company.

Most Asian shares outside Japan rose after Chinese industrial profits increased for a fourth month. Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which on Jan. 25 capped its longest streak of weekly gains in more than 40 years, fell as Fanuc Corp. and Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. cut profit forecasts.

Nikkei 225 10,824.31 -102.34 -0.94%

Hang Seng 23,671.88 +91.45 +0.39%

S&P/ASX 200 Closed

Shanghai Composite 2,346.51 +55.20 +2.41%

Anhui Conch Cement Co. led increases among Chinese makers of the material in Hong Kong after Shenyin & Wanguo Securities Co. recommended the sector.

Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp. both climbed more than 3.5 percent on a report China may lift a ban on imports of game consoles.

Fanuc and Hitachi High-Tech each slumped more than 6.6 percent in Tokyo.

European stocks were little changed near a 23-month high as U.S. reports showed that durable-goods orders increased in the world’s largest economy while pending sales of houses declined.

SBM Offshore NV (SBMO) rose 3.4 percent after Morgan Stanley raised its recommendation for the stock. Debenhams Plc (DEB), the second-largest U.K. department-store chain, dropped 2.9 percent after Morgan Stanley cut its rating of the shares.

The Stoxx 600 slipped 0.1 percent to 289.36 at the close.

Orders for durable goods in the U.S., the European Union’s largest trading partner, climbed 4.6 percent in December, a Commerce Department report in Washington showed. Economists survey had forecast a gain of 2 percent.

A separate release from the National Association of Realtors showed its index of contracts for the purchase of previously owned homes fell 4.3 percent to 101.7 last month after a revised 1.6 percent increase in the prior month. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey projected no change in the gauge.

Chinese industrial companies’ profits rose 17 percent to 895 billion yuan ($144 billion) in December from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday in Beijing.

National benchmark indexes gained in 11 of the 18 western European markets.

FTSE 100 6,294.41 +9.96 +0.16% CAC 40 3,780.89 +2.73 +0.07% DAX 7,833 -24.97 -0.32%

SBM Offshore gained 3.4 percent to 12.01 euros, a four- month high. The largest maker of floating oil-and-gas platforms was raised to equal weight, a rating similar to neutral, from underweight at Morgan Stanley.

ASML Holding NV added 2.8 percent to 56.23 euros, the highest price since it sold shares to the public in March 1995. Europe’s largest semiconductor-equipment supplier was raised to buy from neutral at Citigroup Inc, citing limited risk associated with capital spending by ASML’s customers.

TNT Express NV advanced 3.3 percent to 5.69 euros after UBS AG upgraded the shares to buy from neutral. The Dutch delivery company’s new management will swiftly act to fix or sell its Brazilian and Chinese operations, UBS said.

Debenhams dropped 2.9 percent to 102.2 pence as Morgan Stanley cut its recommendation on the shares to equal weight from overweight. The brokerage lowered its rating on the U.K. general retail industry to “cautious” and said analysts’ estimates for the industry’s profit growth in 2013 are too high.

Indexes finished trading mixed trends, helped by strong data on orders for durable goods and confounding expectations data on the U.S. housing market.

As shown by data released in December orders for durable goods rose by 4.6%, which was significantly higher than forecast (+1.8%). Orders excluding transportation also had higher expectations: 1.3% vs. 0.8%.

Negative impact on the index was published data on pending transactions of purchase / sale of homes in the U.S., which recorded a decline of -4.3% in December, compared to growth of 1.7% in November. The median forecast was at +0.5%

This is the third report on the U.S. housing market over the last month, which comes out worse than expected, indicating a possible delay in the recovery. On Friday, weaker than expected were data on home sales in the primary market in the U.S.. Before that, on Tuesday, 22 January, not met the expectations of the data on existing home sales in the U.S. market. While the market sees this trend as a temporary slowdown, but if this trend continues in the future, this could have a material adverse impact on the markets, perhaps even causing the correction after recent gains.

Growth indices also constrain ambiguous data quarterly report Caterpillar (CAT). CAT profits in the last reporting quarter was higher than expected, but sales did not reach the level expected by analysts. The company said that by the end of the 1st quarter of 2013 earnings and revenue will be significantly lower than the same period last year.

DOW index components show a mixed trend. At the moment, the leader shares in Caterpillar (CAT, +1.88%). Maximum loss carry stock Alcoa (AA, -1.44%).

All sectors of the index S & P, but two are in the red zone. The maximum loss is the basic materials sector (-0.5%). Grows only technology sector (+0.4%) and sector conglomerates (0.1%).

At the close:

Dow -13.67 13,882.31 -0.10%

Nasdaq +4.59 3,154.30 +0.15%

S & P -2.78 1,500.18 -0.18%

Change % Change Last

Nikkei 225 10,824.31 -102.34 -0.94%

Hang Seng 23,671.88 +91.45 +0.39%

S&P/ASX 200 4,835.17 +24.95 +0.52%

Shanghai Composite 2,346.51 +55.20 +2.41%

FTSE 100 6,294.41 +9.96 +0.16%

CAC 40 3,780.89 +2.73 +0.07%

DAX 7,833 -24.97 -0.32%

Dow -13.67 13,882.31 -0.10%

Nasdaq +4.59 3,154.30 +0.15%

S&P -2.78 1,500.18 -0.18%