Gold hits six-week low on weak demand outlook
June 30, 2011--The price of gold slumped to a six-week low on Friday as the passage of austerity measures in Greece, the end of quantitative easing in the US and softening commodity prices dealt a triple blow to the precious metal.
The bullion had held up around $1,500 a troy ounce but on Friday slid as much as 1.4 per cent to a low of $1,478.01 after Greece took a decisive step away from default with a vote backing austerity measures.
Source: FT.com
LSE future uncertain after TMX failure
June 30, 2011--Middle East investors Borse Dubai and the Qatar Investment Authority hold the key to the future of the London Stock Exchange, amid speculation that it has become a takeover target after its aborted $3.5bn bid for Canada’s TMX Group.
Borse Dubai owns nearly 21% of LSE stock and the Qataris hold 15.1%, Thomson Reuters data shows, making the investors easily the largest shareholders in the London exchange and key decision-makers in its future.
Source: FIN24
Deutsche Börse AG and NYSE Euronext seek approval from the European Commission for planned business combination
June 29, 2011--Deutsche Börse AG and NYSE Euronext confirm that they have today formally notified their planned business combination to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, thereby triggering the formal start of the anti-trust review process in Europe.
The NYSE Euronext Board of Directors has scheduled a special meeting of shareholders on July 7, 2011 where they will ask the NYSE Euronext shareholders to vote to approve the combination with Deutsche Börse. The acceptance period during which shareholders of Deutsche Börse can tender their shares for exchange to the joint holding company of Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext (Alpha Beta Netherlands Holding N.V.) will end on July 13, 2011.
The combination of Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext creates:
a genuine transatlantic market infrastructure, positioning Europe as an equal partner to the US in leading the development and harmonization of effectively regulated capital markets;
a true, pan- EU equity stock market, with single currency trading and the deepest pool of liquidity in Europe, which thereby advances the European Commission’s vision of a single, integrated, pan EU €-denominated capital market;
significant benefit for clients and issuers thanks to increased efficiencies and reduced costs from opportunities for post-trade harmonization.
the premier global exchange, allowing Europe to strengthen and solidify its role as one of the world’s most important financial centers now and into the future.
Source: Deutsche Börse
Business tightens up on risk control
June 29, 2011--One in 10 global companies has spent more than $250m on improving their risk management over the past two years, and half of all companies have spent more than $25m, according to a twice yearly report on nearly 400 groups by Accenture.
Rocked by the financial crisis, many companies told the consultancy they had sharply stepped up their spending and the amount of board time and energy they devoted to risk management.
Source: FT.com
LSE calls off merger with TMX Group
June 29, 2011-The London Stock Exchange’s hopes of securing its future as part of a transatlantic deal with TMX Group evaporated last night after the UK bourse withdrew its merger plan having failed to secure enough support from shareholders of its Canadian peer.
The withdrawal is a serious setback to Xavier Rolet, the French chief executive of the LSE, and might put the exchange in play as a potential bid target.
The LSE’s share price has risen by 15 per cent since mid-May amid speculation that it might be taken over, with Nasdaq OMX of the US topping the list of potential predators.
SOurce: FT.com
Oil rallies on reappraisal of IEA move
June 29, 2011--Oil prices rallied more than $3 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering all the losses triggered by last week’s decision by rich consuming nations to release strategic oil stocks.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped to a peak of $112.48 a barrel, the highest since last Thursday, when the International Energy Agency announced its members would sell 60m barrels of oil, the third co-ordinated sale from the reserves in the organisation’s history.
Source: FT.com
EU examines NYSE, Deutsche Boerse merger
June 29, 2011--European antitrust authorities launched Wednesday their examination of a merger between NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse, a deal that would create the world's biggest stock exchange
The office of European competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia confirmed receiving the merger plans and said the preliminary probe would close by August 4.
Brussels must decide whether to authorise the operation, possibly with conditions attached to it, or launch a deeper investigation that could last several months.
Source: EUbusiness
The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index June 2011 Performance Report
June 28, 2011--The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index was down 6.62% for the month of June. The Dow Jones-UBS Single Commodity Indexes for sugar, feeder cattle and orange juice had the
strongest gains with month-to-date returns of 16.88%, 11.44%, and 7.84%, respectively. The three most
significant downside performing single commodity indexes were wheat, cotton and crude oil, which were down 19.58%, 13.56%, and 11.65% respectively, in June.
Year to date, the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index is down 4.24% with the Dow Jones-UBS Orange Juice Sub-Index posting the highest gain of 24.41% so far in 2011. Dow Jones-UBS Wheat Sub-Index has has the most significant downside YTD performance, down 26.83%.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
June 2011 “Market’s Measure” Preliminary Report - A Monthly Report From Dow Jones Indexes On The Performance Of U.S., European, Asia And Other Global Stock Market Indexes
Dow Jones Industrial Average Posts 4.19%Loss in June, European Stocks Lose 6.31%, Asia Falls 4.97% and World Equities Fall by 5.16%
Utilities Sector Posts Biggest Gain for June in Asia
Financials Sector Takes the Hardest Hit for June in Europe
June 28, 2011--As of June 27, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.19% in June,closing at 12043.56. Stock market indexes in Europe, Asia and globally were down in June, according to preliminary monthly figures from global index provider, Dow Jones Indexes.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.19% in June, closing at 12043.56. Year-to-date, the index is up 4.03%.
The Dow Jones Europe Titans 80 Index is down 6.31% for June, closing at 1544.29. Year-todate, the index is up 2.10%.
The Dow Jones Eurozone Titans 80 Index is down 5.35% for June, closing at 1564.32. Yearto- date, the index is up 3.84%.
The Dow Jones Asian Titans 50 Index fell 4.97% in June to 133.42. So far this year, the index is down 8.43%.
The Dow Jones Global Titans 50 Index fell 5.16% in June, closing at 177.79. Year-to-date, the index is up 0.39%.
Source: Dow Jones Indexes
The Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Indexes’ Industry Commentary June 2011
June 28, 2011--This commentary is a monthly analysis of the commodities universe written by Christine Marie Nielsen, a veteran financial journalist. For eight years, Ms. Nielsen covered the Chicago futures exchange and economic news for Dow Jones Newswires.
Source: Mondovisione