Good morning traders!

In the US last night, the Dow fell 8 points to 15,392, the Nasdaq rose 6 points to
3,920 and the S&P500 was flat at 1,745.

In Asia today, the Nikkei was recently up 30 points at 14,724 and the Hang Seng off
114 points at 23,324.

WTI crude oil traded at $99.22 a barrel and Brent crude at $109.64.

Gold settled at $1,315 an ounce.

Good hunting!

G.

Bloomberg Top Headlines

Marketwatch

The Wall Street Journal

The New York Times

Global Markets

Asian Markets News

South China Morning Post

China Daily

Moscow Times





FTSE / DOW

European Factors to Watch - Shares to edge lower ahead of U.S. jobs data

Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:19am BST
LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - European stocks are seen opening flat to slightly
lower on Tuesday, pulling back from five-year highs set in the previous session
after eight straight days of gains, with trade cautious ahead of U.S. jobs data.


Financial spreadbetters expect Britain's FTSE 100 to open 2 to 3
points lower, or flat in percentage terms, Germany's DAX to open down 5
to 7 points, or as much as 0.1 percent lower, and France's CAC 40 to
open down 5 to 7 points, or as much as 0.2 percent lower.

Bets that the U.S. government shutdown may mean the U.S. Federal Reserve
maintains its stimulus programme for longer than expected has spurred a rally in
European stocks over the last week and a half.

September's nonfarm payrolls data, released on Tuesday after a delay due to
the partial government closure, is likely to offer clues on the strength of the
economic recovery, and thus on how long the Fed might maintain its easy policy
stance.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index closed up 0.3 percent at
1,281.09 points on Monday, a five-year closing high, buoyed by reassuring
earnings updates from Philips and SAP.

Tuesday is one of the busier days so far in the European earnings season,
with Novartis, BHP Billiton and Reckitt Benckiser all
releasing results.

Morning All.

Nikkei reaches 3-1/2-week closing high ahead of U.S. jobs data

Tue Oct 22, 2013 7:11am BST
TOKYO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average edged
up to a 3-1/2-week closing high on Tuesday ahead of a U.S. jobs
report that could give clues on when the Federal Reserve will
begin cutting its stimulus.

The benchmark Nikkei rose 0.1 percent to 14,713.25,
its highest close since Sept. 27, in a choppy session after
trading as low as 14,641.78. The broader Topix added 0.2
percent to 1,214.44 in relatively light trade, with 2.17 billion
shares changing hands.

U.S. payrolls data for September, delayed by the 16-day
government shutdown, is due at 1230 GMT.

FTSE100 slightly higher in cautious early trade today

GBP Public Sector Net Borrowing 9.4B 10.4B 11.5B

Some are doing well from others filling the pinch .........

Number of millionaire households in UK leaps by a fifth in three years to nearly 350,000

Read more: this is money / Number-millionaire-households-UK-leaps-fifth-years-nearly-350-000

WATCH LIVE: Chancellor George Osborne in conversation with Sir Harry Evans

FTSE100 modestly higher midday ahead of US jobs data

CAD Core Retail Sales m/m 0.4% 0.2% 1.0%

CAD Retail Sales m/m 0.2% 0.3% 0.6%

USD Non-Farm Employment Change 148K 182K 169K

USD Unemployment Rate 7.2% 7.3% 7.3%

USD Average Hourly Earnings m/m 0.1% 0.2% 0.2%

Been out, But Non-Farm No's seem to be reasonably received looking at the market numbers.

Stan - Reuter's take - Tepid U.S. job growth supports Fed's cautious stance

Thanks Skinny, Dow and footsie slipping back now so yes "tepid" seems to be the right word!

FTSE100 ends day firmly higher after upbeat earnings

Apple gives away Mac software, unveils iPad Air

SAN FRANCISCO | Tue Oct 22, 2013 7:40pm BST
(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday took the wraps off a slimmer faster tablet called the iPad Air and said it will give away Macintosh operating and work software free to its users, challenging Microsoft Corp's near-stranglehold on personal computing.

Apple announced the surprise offer, which will be available to all users of Apple MacBooks and Mac computers, at a product event on Tuesday at which it also unveiled a new line of Mac notebooks and computers.

An interesting article. Thanks SK

Yes, thanks Skinny, Might be some VG second hand versions of the last iPads available at a very reasonable price. Personally don't like these "air" style devices.