Analytics, News, and Forecasts for CFD Markets: stock news — 30-01-2013.

European stocks dropped the most this year as Saipem (SPM) SpA plunged and a report showed that the U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter.

Saipem plummeted 34 percent after cutting its earnings forecasts for 2012 and 2013. Swedbank AB (SWEDA) jumped the most in 32 months after the lender raised its dividend payout ratio to 75 percent of profit after net income more than quadrupled in the fourth quarter. Nordea Bank AB (NDA) rose 3.2 percent after reporting quarterly profit that beat analysts’

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index lost 0.6 percent to 288.63 in London, falling from its highest level since Feb. 18, 2011.

The U.S economy shrank 0.1 percent at an annual rate in the fourth quarter, figures from the Commerce Department showed today. The median estimate of economists had called for the world’s largest economy to expand 1.1 percent. Gross domestic product increased 3.1 percent in the three months through September.

National benchmark indexes retreated in 14 of the 18 western-European markets.

FTSE 100 6,323.11 -16.08 -0.25% CAC 40 3,765.52 -20.30 -0.54% DAX 7,811.31 -37.26 -0.47%

Saipem plunged 34 percent to 20.01 euros, its biggest slide since at least Dec. 1988. The oil and gas contractor lowered its forecast for earnings before interest and taxes in 2012 by 6 percent to about 1.5 billion euros. Ebit will fall to about 750 million euros in 2013, the company said. Italy’s FTSE MIB sank 3.4 percent, its biggest drop since Aug. 2.

Roche Holding AG retreated 1.4 percent to 198.60 Swiss francs. The world’s biggest maker of cancer drugs posted earnings per share excluding some items of 13.62 francs for last year, falling short of the 13.67-franc average analyst estimate.

Imperial Tobacco Group Plc sank 4.3 percent to 2,361 pence after saying profit will decline in the first half of this year. Europe’s second-biggest tobacco company also reported a smaller gain in fiscal first-quarter revenue than analysts had estimated. British American Tobacco Plc, Europe’s largest, dropped 0.8 percent to 3,275.50 pence.

Nordea rose 3.2 percent to 68.45 kronor after Scandinavia’s largest lender said profit increased 7 percent in the fourth quarter. Net income climbed to 840 million euros from 785 million euros a year earlier, the lender said. That beat the average analyst estimate for profit of 765 million euros.

Luxottica Group SpA added 2.3 percent to 34.36 euros, its highest price since its initial public offering on Italy’s stock market in December 2000. The owner of the Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses brands said sales rose 14 percent in 2012 to 7.09 billion euros.

U.S. stock futures fell after government data showed the American economy unexpectedly shrank last quarter

Global Stocks:

European stocks dropped from a 23- month high as Saipem SpA plunged and investors awaited a report that may show the U.S. economy expanded in the fourth quarter at the weakest pace in almost two years.

The world’s largest economy probably expanded at a 1.1 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, the slowest pace since the first quarter of 2011, according to the median estimate of 83 economists surveyed. Gross domestic product increased 3.1 percent in the three months through September. Consumer purchases, the biggest part of the economy, probably accelerated. The Commerce Department publishes its report at 8:30 a.m. in Washington.

In the euro area, a measure of consumer confidence compiled by the European Commission rose to minus 23.9 in January from minus 26.3 in December. That matched the median economist estimate in a survey.

Saipem plunged 36 percent to 19.64 euros, its biggest slide since at least Dec. 1988. The oil and gas contractor lowered its forecast for earnings before interest and taxes by 6 percent to about 1.5 billion euros. Ebit will fall to about 750 million euros this year, the oil-services contractor said in a statement late yesterday.

A gauge of European oil and gas companies fell the most in 11 weeks as Eni SpA, which owns a 43 percent stake in Saipem, dropped 4.8 percent to 18.38 euros. Rival energy explorers Technip SA and Petrofac Ltd. tumbled 6.8 percent to 77.73 euros and 5.5 percent to 1,641 pence, respectively.

Swedbank, the second-best capitalized major lender in the European Union, surged 7.6 percent to 145.10 kronor, its biggest jump since Nov. 2011. The bank proposed a dividend of 9.90 kronor a share, compared with 5.30 kronor a year earlier. Net income rose to 4.34 billion kronor ($683 million) in the fourth quarter, from 965 million kronor a year earlier, the lender said in a statement. That beat the average projection of 3.54 billion-krona in a Bloomberg survey.

Nordea rose 2.6 percent to 68.05 kronor after Scandinavia’s largest lender said profit increased 7 percent in the fourth quarter. Net income climbed to 840 million euros from 785 million euros in the same period a year earlier, the Stockholm- based lender said. That beat the average analyst estimate for profit of 765 million euros.

FTSE 100 6,340.12 +0.93 +0.01%

CAC 40 3,779.56 -6.26 -0.17%

DAX 7,833.03 -15.54 -0.20%

Asian stocks rose, with the benchmark index headed for its highest close since August 2011, as Japanese shares surged on earnings and amid speculation the Federal Reserve will renew its commitment to asset purchases.

Nikkei 225 11,113.95 +247.23 +2.28%

Hang Seng 23,822.06 +166.89 +0.71%

S&P/ASX 200 4,896.69 +7.72 +0.16%

Shanghai Composite 2,382.47 +23.50 +1.00%

Yahoo Japan Corp., owner of the nation’s largest Web portal, surged 17 percent and Koito Manufacturing Co., an automobile lighting equipment maker, jumped 10 percent after raising its full-year profit forecasts.

Yuanta Financial Holding Co. rose 3.9 percent in Taipei after Taiwan said it will allow mainland institutions to invest twice as much in its securities market.

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd., a natural gas distributor, slumped 2.7 percent in Hong Kong on plans to issue convertible bonds.

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.

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.

Indexes finished trading mixed dynamics on expectations complete meeting of the Federal Open Market.

Market participants ignored the data on consumer sentiment in the U.S.. Today's report showed that U.S. consumer sentiment indicator in January showed a rapid decrease in the second consecutive month and reached its lowest level in 14 months. However, the U.S. stock indexes did not respond to this statistic, in fact, some time after its publication, even able to significantly recover.

The reason for ignoring the expectations of players include the results of the upcoming meeting of the Fed. From this meeting, market participants want to get more specific information on the timing of the super soft, the Fed's policy.

Decrease in the indices restrict positive assessment by investors of the current season publish quarterly reports. According to Bloomberg, 75% of the profits of companies whose shares are included in the index and S & P have already published financial data for the last quarter was higher than expected. At the same time, selling 67% of the companies had higher expectations.

Most of the components of the index DOW show growth (20 of 30). At the moment, the leader shares in Pfizer (PFE, +3.30%). Maximum loss carry stock Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, -3.11%).

Support the shares of PFE have reported financial results for the last quarter. According to the presented report, Pfizer profit up in Q4 was $ 0.47 per share, versus the average forecast of $ 0.44. Revenue for the period fell by 6.6% y / y to $ 15.7 billion compared with the average forecast of $ 14.37 billion

All sectors of the S & P is in the green zone. Maximum growth demonstrates the basic materials sector (+1.1%). No change is traded service sector and the technology sector.

At the close:

Dow +72.57 13,954.50 +0.52%

Nasdaq -0.64 3,153.66 -0.02%

S & P +7.67 1,507.85 +0.51%

Change % Change Last

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%

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%

Dow +72.57 13,954.50 +0.52%

Nasdaq -0.64 3,153.66 -0.02%

S&P +7.67 1,507.85 +0.51%