Evening Euro Markets Bulletin

ADVFN III Evening Euro Markets Bulletin Daily world financial news Tuesday, 31 March 2015 17:32:07 Monitor Quote Charts News CFD's Spreadbetting Free BB   Sponsored by: Trendsignal Your complimentary trading guide Make a consistent income with this simple trading strategy. For your free guide click here. London Market Report FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Please click on the images to view our interactive charts London close: FTSE plunges 1.7% as investors take profits ahead of quarter-end Sharp falls from mining and tobacco stocks sent the FTSE 100 to its lowest close in two and a half weeks on Tuesday as investors used some weak economic data as an excuse to rebalance their books before the quarter-end. After briefly trading in the green early on, the Footsie finished had plunged 1.7% to 6,773.04 by the end of the session. The index has not settled below this mark since 13 March. "After such a bullish day's trading yesterday, the end of the first quarter looks to be triggering a little bit of profit-taking," said Alastair McCaig from IG. Economic data from the UK mostly beat expectations on Tuesday, including an unexpected upwards revision to economic growth estimates for the fourth quarter and a jump in business confidence in March. However, markets dropped sharply into the red by mid-morning after it was revealed that Eurozone core consumer prices increased at an annual rate of 0.6% in March, down from +0.7% the month before and below forecasts. The unemployment rate for the single-currency region declined from 11.4% to 11.3% but missed the 11.2% estimate. Uncertainty in Greece was also weighing on sentiment after leaders failed to agree on a package of reforms with lenders. According to the European Council president Donald Tusk, a deal is not likely before Easter. Meanwhile, talks with Iran over a nuclear deal were also under the spotlight. There were reports that discussions could be extended until after Easter if no concrete agreement is signed on Tuesday, the official deadline. Not even further stimulus measures in China could lift stocks in London's heavyweight mining sector as risk appetite took a hit. Beijing eased curbs on lending and tax policies in an effort to stop a downturn which has dampened economic growth. Kingfisher a standout riser in a sea of red DIY retailer Kingfisher was one of the few risers on Tuesday after impressing investors with plans to close 60 stores, as new chief executive V?ronique Laury announced full-year results and set out her plans for a "very different" company. The company announced a ?200m cash return for the coming financial year as it revealed adjusted annual profits fell 7.5% to ?675m last year. Mining stocks were dominating the fallers list on the Footsie, including Anglo American, Randgold Resources, Fresnillo and Antofagasta. Antofagasta on Tuesday quashed rumours that it was looking to merge with copper producing peer Teck Resources. Deutsche Bank also weighed on stocks after saying its calculations pointed to commodities being the worst performing asset class for the first quarter of 2015. Additionally, Bloomberg reported a $1.23bn net outflow from US commodities exchange-traded funds. British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco were lower on concerns that the Lorrillard-Reynolds merger will fall apart. Reynolds shareholder BAT had agreed to invest $4.7bn and was hoping to keep a 42% stake in the enlarged business, while Imperial was set to spend $7.1bn on a number of assets that the two US groups were selling. Meggitt was out of favour after Exane BNP Paribas initiated coverage of the stock with an 'underperform' rating, saying it sees downside at current prices despite ongoing bid speculation. Outsourcing services group Mitie fell after warning that it expects full-year profits to be pushed slightly lower than forecast by margin pressures in the homecare and social housing businesses.   Up to 8% yields passive income Earn passive income with this fantastic opportunity in Manchester's cultural hub, Salford Quays. Recently ranked second highest as a British buy-to-let hotspot, 'The Canary Wharf of Manchester' is an investment opportunity not to be missed! Click here to find out more FTSE 100 - Risers Kingfisher (KGF) 380.60p +4.33% Babcock International Group (BAB) 984.50p +2.23% Persimmon (PSN) 1,663.00p +0.97% easyJet (EZJ) 1,882.00p +0.80% Intertek Group (ITRK) 2,498.00p +0.73% Carnival (CCL) 3,296.00p +0.67% G4S (GFS) 295.80p +0.58% Travis Perkins (TPK) 1,950.00p +0.52% Barratt Developments (BDEV) 528.50p +0.48% Dixons Carphone (DC.) 412.70p +0.39% FTSE 100 - Fallers Anglo American (AAL) 1,012.00p -4.53% Imperial Tobacco Group (IMT) 2,963.00p -3.42% British American Tobacco (BATS) 3,488.50p -2.95% BG Group (BG.) 829.00p -2.70% Meggitt (MGGT) 548.50p -2.58% Fresnillo (FRES) 682.50p -2.57% BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,473.50p -2.55% Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 4,693.00p -2.51% Unilever (ULVR) 2,815.00p -2.49% GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,546.00p -2.43% FTSE 250 - Risers Serco Group (SRP) 137.90p +4.47% Greencore Group (GNC) 322.40p +3.23% Redefine International (RDI) 58.75p +3.16% SIG (SHI) 203.00p +2.84% Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 398.00p +2.71% Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 374.00p +2.47% Pace (PIC) 345.00p +2.37% Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 5,905.00p +2.25% Senior (SNR) 325.20p +2.04% Saga (SAGA) 184.20p +1.99% FTSE 250 - Fallers Telecom Plus (TEP) 870.00p -5.64% Mitie Group (MTO) 276.00p -5.61% Vedanta Resources (VED) 500.00p -5.48% Renishaw (RSW) 2,442.00p -5.13% Premier Oil (PMO) 131.60p -4.29% Go-Ahead Group (GOG) 2,330.00p -3.56% Tullow Oil (TLW) 283.20p -3.44% Ophir Energy (OPHR) 134.80p -3.30% Ashmore Group (ASHM) 284.50p -3.17% Will you be able to retire in comfort? Download the 15-Minute Retirement Plan by Fisher Investments.   Click here to download! Europe Market Report FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Europe close: Indices trim gains amid concerns over Greece European indices trimmed earlier gains as concerns over Greece continued to weigh on markets. European Council president Donald Tusk has predicted that it could take until the end of April for Greece to come to a deal with lenders, dashing hopes of a breakthrough. However, Greece is reportedly set to run out of cash by 20 April. Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras appealed for an "honest compromise" with creditors after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Greece had a certain degree of flexibility on reforms but they must "add up". The euro plunged 0.84% to $1.0742 amid worries about Greek debt. In economic data, euro-area deflation eased in March, as expected, Eurostat revealed, falling 0.1% this month compared to a drop of 0.3% in February. However it remains well underneath the European Central Bank's (ECB) target of just under 2%. The Eurozone unemployment rate fell to 11.3% in March from a revised 11.4% a month earlier. Analysts had been expecting the rate to remain at the previous estimate of 11.2%. "The latest data on Eurozone inflation and unemployment did not lift the threat of a prolonged period of deflation in the currency union," Capital Economics analysts warned. Meanwhile, the German unemployment rate unexpectedly dipped to 6.4% in March from 6.5% the prior month. German retail sales rose 3.6% year-on-year in February, more than the 3.4% gain expected. The data comes off the back of the ECB's quantitative easing programme which was launched at the beginning of March to help boost the economy and bring inflation back towards the monetary authority's target. In the US, an index measuring consumer confidence rose to 101.3 in March from 98.8 the previous month, more than the reading of 96.4 expected. Companies: Kingfisher, Antofagasta Kingfisher jumped as the European home-improvement retailer said it will close stores, form a new leadership team and stock more products to lift sales. Antofagasta slumped after denying reports the miner is in talks about a merger with Teck Resources. Yoox SpA advanced after agreeing to buy Net-a-Porter business for stock valued at about €719m. Shares of the Swiss owner, Financiere Richemont, slipped. Swissquote offers CFD Trading, an efficient mean of trading indices, commodities and currencies. You can trade on the market whether you think it will go UP or Down! Think the DAX will go Down? Short the DAX… Try CFD Trading with a Free Practice Account losses can exceed your deposit. US Market Report US open: Dow drops 50 points as stocks relinquish Monday's gains US stocks declined on Tuesday after two sessions of solid gains, as losses in the European and Asian markets weighed on sentiment. Just after 09:30 in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 50 points, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq began the session nine and 18 points down, respectively. European stocks slid after data showed Eurozone unemployment remained above expectations at 11.3% in February, after upward revisions to the prior month, while Asian stocks endured a choppy session, with the Nikkei 225 and the Shanghai Composite Index both falling 1%. "Monday's recovery restores some of the optimistic outlook, but the US dollar is waking from its slumber once more and this will make life harder for indices on Wall Street to follow their European cousins higher," said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at IG. The dollar jumped 0.74% against the euro and gained 0.11% against the pound but fell just over 0.1% against the yen, while gold futures edged 0.09% higher to $1,185.90. US house prices remained steady in January, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index released on Tuesday. On a seasonally adjusted basis, prices grew 0.9%, while they rose 4.6% year-on-year. There is more economic data on the way for US investors, with the US Conference Board set to report on consumer confidence for March, which is expected to be largely unchanged from the previous month, at 15:00 GMT. Before that, the closely-monitored Chicago Purchasing Managers Index is released at 14:45 GMT. Earlier on Tuesday, Richmond Fed head Jeffrey Lacker, said there was a "strong" case for the Fed to raise interest rates as early as June as he expects solid growth and increasing inflation. "I expect that, unless incoming economic reports diverge substantially from projections, the case for raising rates will remain strong at the June meeting," he said. In company news, fast food giant McDonald's slid 0.33% after announcing it would start testing all-day breakfasts in San Diego in April. IT group IBM fell 0.68% after unveiling lans to invest $3bn in a new "Internet of Things" business, designed to help customers gather and analyse data from sensor-equipped devices and smartphones. Property giant CBRE Group rose 3.30% after confirming it would buy Johnson Controls' workplace solutions business in a deal worth $1.47bn. Oil prices fell sharply in the wake of last-minute talks between Iran and six global powers over Teheran's nuclear programme. Access property investments usually reserved for the largest investors Cogress is a property investment firm that give qualified investors access to unique real estate investments.  Past investments made by our management team showed an average of 22.7% returns annually.  Receive our FREE Investment Pack. Broker Tips Broker tips: Kingfisher, Antofagasta, Meggitt, Petrofac Analysts were largely very impressed by the strategic vision nailed to the wall by Kingfisher's new chief executive Vronique Laury as she lifted the lid on some less impressive full-year numbers. Brewin Dolphin's Nicla Di Palma said the new strategy makes sense, with the new focus on capital discipline and costs spelling good news for margin expansion. Meanwhile, Richard Hunter of Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers said the transformation plan "sounds promising" and the annual results underlined why it was necessary. Citigroup said it sees no clear rationale for Antofagasta in its denied merger with Canadian mining peer Teck Resources, saying that it is unlikely that the UK group is 'in play' in M&A terms. The US bank, which reiterated a 'sell' rating and 690p target on Antofagasta, said: "Strategically we see no benefits to Antofagasta's minority shareholders from diversification into coal and zinc (although this does hinge on long-term prices); plus risk of a major de-rating risk from losing the pureplay copper premium. The only good rationale would be if Los Pelambres really is at risk (in which case Teck would walk)." Exane BNP Paribas has kicked off coverage of aerospace engineer Meggitt with an 'underperform' rating despite bid speculation and an active share buyback programme supporting the stock over the last year. "Buoyed by bid-spec, the company has outperformed this past 12 months and trades close to its relative highs. However we don't believe that the group's earnings quality and increasing pressure on an already weak cash conversion support a takeout above the current price," Exane said. Canaccord Genuity has cut its rating for oilfield services group Petrofac from 'buy' to 'hold' after an "impressive run" in the stock over recent months.   New ADVFN Service - FREE Reports Get your free report on Isa's, Investment Trusts, Funds, Sipps Travel and Cars - FREE and Easy service CLICK HERE To advertise in the Euro Markets Bulletin please contact patrick@advfn.co.uk     To unsubscribe from this news bulletin or edit your mailing list settings click here. Registered Office/Accounts Dept: Suite 27, Essex Technology Centre, The Gable, Fyfield Road, Ongar, CM5 0GA. Customer Support +44 (0) 207 0700 961. Company registered in England and Wales: Number 2374988 VAT No. GB 549 2130 49

ADVFN Newsdesk - Risk Aversion Takes Hold Amid Rate, Greek Debt Worries

ADVFN  World Daily Markets Bulletin Daily world financial news Tuesday, 31 March 2015 10:34:53    Monitor Quote Charts News Toplists Forex Boards   Sponsored by: VectorVest How to Analyze Any Stock in 30 Seconds (or Less) BUY, SELL or HOLD? Knowing which stocks to buy can be tough. But armed with the right tools, you can easily separate the winners from the losers. Watch this short video to see how fast and easy it can be to analyze your stocks and manage your portfolio! Watch This Video  US Market NYSE AMEX Dow Jones Nasdaq Please click on the images to view our interactive charts The major U.S. index futures are pointing to lower opening on Tuesday, with sentiment turning negative following the advances in the previous two sessions. With the Greek crisis and fears of U.S. monetary policy normalization, which has served to strengthen the dollar, continuing to serve as overhangs, the markets are being tossed like waves, reacting to each incoming economic evidence. The volatility in oil prices and the fragile global economic recovery have also worried the markets. The results of a regional manufacturing survey and a consumer confidence reading due shortly after the markets open may also render direction to the markets in today's session. U.S. stocks saw considerable strength on Monday, encouraged by hopes of easy monetary policy and M & A news flow. The major averages opened higher and saw a short advance in early trading. Thereafter, the averages moved roughly sideways before closing notably higher. The Dow Industrials rallied 263.65 points or 1.49 percent before closing at 17,976, the S&P 500 Index closed 25.22 points or 1.22 percent higher at 2,086 and the Nasdaq Composite ended at 4,947, up 56.22 points or 1.15 percent. Twenty-eight of the thirty Dow components closed higher, with Apple, Boeing, Caterpillar, Chevron, JP Morgan Chase, UnitedHealth and Exxon Mobil leading the gains. On the other hand, Intel retreated sharply. Among the sectors, transportation, utility, biotechnology, basic material, oil, housing, retail, semiconductor and financial stocks were among the best performers, while gold stocks came under selling pressure. On the economic front, the Commerce Department reported that personal income rose 0.4 percent month-over-month in February, with the increase slightly ahead of expectations. Wages and salaries climbed 0.3 percent. At the same time, personal spending was up a mere 0.1 percent compared to expectations for a 0.2 percent increase. Spending on durable goods fell and spending on services slowed. Income adjusted for inflation was up 0.2 percent, while real spending was down by 0.1 percent. The annual core price consumption expenditure index was up a mere 0.3 percent, with energy prices serving as a drag. The core rate was up 1.4 percent. The National Association of Realtors reported that its pending home sales index rose 3.1 percent month-over-month in February, much more than the 0.3 percent increase expected by economists. Pending home sales rose notably in the Midwest and the West, while the Northeast and South saw declines. The regional business activity index compiled by the Dallas Federal Reserve fell to -17.4 in March from -11.2 in February, while economists had expected an improvement to -9. Get Our FREE Breakout Box Trading Technique For a limited time, Trading Advantage is offering their Breakout Box technique 100% FREE. Gain access to the entry and exit signals and illustrated charts that make this technique easy enough for any trader to learn! Download Here (This offer may expire soon). US Economic Reports CADUSD Oil Gold Allbanc Please click on the images to view our interactive charts Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George is scheduled to speak in New York. At 9 am ET, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker is due to speak on the economic outlook in Richmond. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester will also moderate a panel on the future of banks at the Atlanta Fed conference in Stone Mountain, Georgia, at 9 am ET. S&P/Case-Shiller is due to release its house price index for January at 9 am ET. The 20-city house price index is expected to rise 0.7 percent month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to a 0.9 percent increase in December. Annually, house prices may have risen an unadjusted 4.6 percent. MNI Indicators is due to release the results of its Chicago business survey for March at 9:45 am ET. The business barometer is expected to increase to 50.2 from 45.8 in February. The Chicago business barometer slumped 13.6 points to 45.8 in February, the lowest level since July 2009. The sharp retreat was due to bad weather and effects related to the West Coast port slowdown. The new orders, production and employment indexes all declined notably during the month. At 10 am ET, the Conference Board is set to release its consumer confidence index for March. The consensus estimate calls for a small drop in the index to 95.5 from 96.4 in February. The consumer confidence index for the U.S. pulled back in February. The consumer confidence index fell to 96.4 from a 7-1/2 year high of 103.8 in January, coming in below the expected reading of 99.1. The expectations index fell 9.8 points to 87.2, while the present situations index was down a more modest 2.7 points to 110.2. Buying This Stock Could Turn $10K Into $2,518,668 ... Even If The Market Crashes Because of the unique nature of the looming crash, the ultra-specific strategy you’ll see, and the historical performance of this stock, it's possible for you to turn an initial $10K grubstake into a $2.5 million nest egg ... even if the market starts crashing tomorrow. Click Here To Get The Ticker Symbol! Stocks in Focus FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Please click on the images to view our interactive charts Actavis' subsidiary Actavis Australia and Amneal Pharma announced a deal under which the latter will acquire substantially all of the former's in-country generic pharma business. The companies did not reveal the financial terms of the deal. Agilent Technologies announced an agreement for Japanese scientific instrumentation company Rigaku to acquire Agilent's X-ray diffraction business. The deal is expected to be final May 1st, 2015. TD Ameritrade announced that banking veteran Steve Boyle will succeed Bill Gerber as its CFO at the conclusion of its fiscal year 2015. Analogic announced the departure of its CFO Michael Levitz, effective April 2015, and the appointment of Michael Bourque, its VP and Corporate Controller, to the CFO position on an interim basis. Media General announced a secondary offering of 6.8 million shares of its common stocks by one of its stockholders. Buy, Sell or Hold? - Free Stock Analysis Stocks can only do 3 things: go up, go down, or go sideways. Sounds pretty straightforward right, so why complicate it? Enter any symbol for a simple, instant analysis that can keep you on the right side of the trend. Analyze Any Symbol Now! European Markets European stocks opened mostly lower and saw some volatility in early trading after yesterday's solid advance. The major averages have now turned uniformly lower and are notably lower. The debt crisis in Greece is still in limbo, as the nation scrambles to secure financing ahead of the April 20th deadline. In corporate news, Royal Philips Electronics announced a deal to sell an 80.1 percent stake in its lighting division to Go Scale Capital for $2.8 billion. U.K.'s Kingfisher reported a decline in its full year profits and also announced plans to close 60 underperforming B&Q stores. U.K. travel company Thomas Cook said in its pre-close update that it is confident of meeting its full year expectations, as its European operations showed improvement. On the economic front, a report released by the GfK Institute showed that consumer confidence in the U.K. rose to a 12 -year high in March, with the corresponding index rising to 4 from 1 in February. German retail sales rose 3.6 percent year-over-year in February, slower than the 5 percent jump in January, a report released by the German Federal Statistical Office showed. Economists expected a 3.4 percent increase. A separate report showed that the jobless rate in Germany came in at 4.8 percent in February, unchanged from the previous month. The number of unemployed persons rose 7.3 percent compared to a more modest 0.1 percent increase in the number of employed individuals. Meanwhile, the German Federal Labor Agency reported that the jobless rate in German came in at 6.4 percent in March compared to the 6.5 percent rate expected by economists. Revised estimates released by the U.K. Office for National Statistics showed that U.K. fourth quarter GDP rose at an upwardly revised sequential rate of 0.6 percent and the year-over-year growth rate was also revised to 3 percent from 2.7 percent. Flash estimate released by Eurostat showed that euro area's annual consumer price inflation remained negative for the fourth straight month in March, while the jobless rate eased 0.1 percentage points to 11.3 percent. E*TRADE Helps Beginners Invest Online. It's Easy! Start Now. Asian markets USDCAD USDEUR USDGBP USDJPY Please click on the images to view our interactive charts The major Asian markets closed mixed, with the Japanese and Chinese markets retreating sharply, while most other major markets in the region advanced. Optimism over stimulatory support for China and the positive close on Wall Street overnight set in motion a wave of buying in most markets. Expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will cut rates when it meets next week also encouraged traders to pick up stocks. Australia's All Ordinaries opened higher and rallied strongly in early trading. After moving sideways in the morning, the index gave back some of its gains yet closed 45.60 points or 0.78 percent higher at 5,862. Most sectors advanced, led by IT and material stocks, while real estate stocks came under selling pressure. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended at, up points or percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index closed 38.67 points or 1.02 percent lower at 3,748. Japanese stocks came under pressure despite the yen remaining depressed. After trading above the unchanged line until the mid-session, the Nikkei 225 average retreated in late afternoon trading before ending down 204.41 points or 1.05 percent at 19,207. A majority of stocks declined, led by rail utilities and food stocks. Other utilities, financial, retail, telecom and some resource stocks also came under selling pressure. At the same time, export stocks ended mostly higher. On the economic front, data released by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism showed that housing starts fell 3.1 percent year-over-year in February, smaller than the 13 percent decline in January. The Reserve Bank of Australia released private sector credit data for February, which rose 0.5 percent month-over-month in February compared to a 0.6 percent increase in January. Annually, credit was up 6.2 percent. New home sales in Australia rose yet again in February, according to a report released by the Housing Industry Association. New home sales rose 1.1 percent on top of a 1.8 percent climb in January. The number of construction orders received by big 50 contractors grew at a much slower pace of 1 percent on a yearly basis in February. The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association reported that vehicle production volume fell 5.3 percent year-over-year in February, with domestic demand falling sharply. Currency and Commodities Markets Crude oil futures are declining $0.89 to $47.79 a barrel after slipping $0.19 to $48.68 a barrel on Monday. Meanwhile, an ounce of gold is trading at $1,186.50, up $1.20 from the previous session's close of $1,185.30. On Monday, gold fell $15.40. On the currency front, the U.S. dollar is trading at 119.85 yen compared to the 120.07 yen it fetched at the close of New York trading on Monday. Against the euro, the dollar is valued at $1.0774 compared to yesterday's $1.0833.     To unsubscribe from this news bulletin or edit your mailing list settings click here. Registered Office/Accounts Dept: Suite 27, Essex Technology Centre, The Gable, Fyfield Road, Ongar, CM5 0GA. Customer Support +44 (0) 207 0700 961. Company registered in England and Wales: Number 2374988 VAT No. GB 549 2130 49

Morning Euro Markets Bulletin

ADVFN  Morning Euro Markets Bulletin Daily world financial news Tuesday, 31 March 2015 10:39:01 Monitor Quote Charts News CFD's Spreadbetting Free BB   Sponsored by: Trendsignal Your complimentary trading guide Make a consistent income with this simple trading strategy. For your free guide click here. London Market Report FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Please click on the images to view our interactive charts London open: Stocks inch higher, but gains limited early on UK stocks edged higher on Tuesday morning ahead of a busy day for economic data, with B&Q owner Kingfisher leading the rise early on. The FTSE 100 was up 0.1% at 6,896.06, extending gains after snapping a four-day losing streak on Monday. Asian stocks rose on Tuesday after Beijing unveiled new measures to support the Chinese housing market. Curbs on lending and tax policies were eased in an effort to stop a downturn which has dampened economic growth. However, gains were in London only modest with investors treading cautiously on the last day of the first quarter. Analyst Craig Erlam from Oanda said quarter-end can bring about "some unusual trading activity" as investors balance their books. "The fact that we're also approaching the end of the financial year may also feed into this," he said. Uncertainty in Greece was also limiting upside after leaders failed to agree on a package of reforms with lenders. Germany has said that proposed reforms from Athens must "add up". A flurry of economic data from the UK is also due for release on Tuesday, including consumer confidence, balance of payments, and the final estimate of fourth-quarter gross domestic product. German unemployment data revealed that the jobless rate hit an all-time low of 6.4% in March, while retail data from the country also smashed expectations. Meanwhile, Eurozone consumer prices will also be in focus and are predicted to have fallen at an annual rate of 0.1% in March after a 0.3% decline in February. Kingfisher and Antofagasta gain DIY retailer Kingfisher impressed investors with plans to close 60 stores, as new chief executive Vronique Laury announced full year results and set out her plans for a "very different" company. The company announced a 200m cash return for the coming financial year as it revealed adjusted annual profits fell 7.5% to 675m last year. Mining group Antofagasta was also higher after quashing rumours that it was looking to merge with copper producing peer Teck Resources. British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco were lower on concerns that the Lorrillard-Reynolds merger will fall apart. Reynolds shareholder BAT had agreed to invest $4.7bn and was hoping to keep a 42% stake in the enlarged business, while Imperial was set to spend $7.1bn on a number of assets that the two US groups were selling. Energy services outfit Wood Group rose after winning a major new contract with French oil giant Total in the UK Continental Shelf. The company said it was a five-year, multimillion-dollar contract which includes the option for two one-year extensions. Up to 8% yields passive income Earn passive income with this fantastic opportunity in Manchester's cultural hub, Salford Quays. Recently ranked second highest as a British buy-to-let hotspot, 'The Canary Wharf of Manchester' is an investment opportunity not to be missed! Click here to find out more Market Movers techMARK 3,189.22 +0.27% FTSE 100 6,896.06 +0.07% FTSE 250 17,290.08 +0.48% FTSE 100 - Risers Kingfisher (KGF) 381.50p +4.58% Babcock International Group (BAB) 989.50p +2.75% Weir Group (WEIR) 1,756.00p +2.57% St James's Place (STJ) 955.00p +2.25% Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,247.00p +2.21% Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,216.00p +2.07% Persimmon (PSN) 1,680.00p +2.00% Travis Perkins (TPK) 1,977.00p +1.91% Whitbread (WTB) 5,335.00p +1.81% Carnival (CCL) 3,332.00p +1.77% FTSE 100 - Fallers Imperial Tobacco Group (IMT) 3,005.00p -2.05% Meggitt (MGGT) 554.00p -1.60% Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,745.00p -1.52% Fresnillo (FRES) 692.00p -1.21% British American Tobacco (BATS) 3,553.50p -1.14% Friends Life Group Limited (FLG) 417.30p -1.09% Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 4,763.00p -1.06% Diageo (DGE) 1,884.00p -0.95% Aviva (AV.) 545.00p -0.82% Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 320.80p -0.77% FTSE 250 - Risers Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 220.80p +4.15% SIG (SHI) 205.40p +4.05% JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 494.80p +3.67% Rentokil Initial (RTO) 139.70p +3.10% RPC Group (RPC) 592.50p +2.51% Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 146.40p +2.31% Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG) 578.00p +2.30% Home Retail Group (HOME) 171.60p +2.26% Spirax-Sarco Engineering (SPX) 3,469.00p +2.12% Computacenter (CCC) 697.50p +2.12% FTSE 250 - Fallers Mitie Group (MTO) 271.00p -7.32% Go-Ahead Group (GOG) 2,338.00p -3.23% Infinis Energy (INFI) 185.00p -2.06% Vedanta Resources (VED) 520.00p -1.70% Allied Minds (ALM) 681.00p -1.30% Bwin.party Digital Entertainment (BPTY) 80.15p -1.29% Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 971.00p -1.27% AL Noor Hospitals Group (ANH) 1,013.00p -1.17% Acacia Mining (ACA) 263.30p -1.01% UK Event Calendar INTERIMS Inland Homes, James Halstead INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE BHP Billiton, The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Custodian Reit , HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd, MedicX Fund Ltd., Premier Energy & Water Trust INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Chicago PMI (US) (14:45) Consumer Confidence (US) (15:00) International Reserves (EU) (11:00) Unemployment Rate (EU) (10:00) Unemployment Rate (GER) (08:55) FINALS Avengardco Investments Public Ltd GDR, Chesnara, Christie Group, e-Therapeutics, InternetQ, Kingfisher, LiDCO Group, Martinco , MMC Norilsk Nickel ADR, PJSC Centre For Cargo Container Traffic Transcontainer GDR (Reg S) ANNUAL REPORT EMIS Group, Ferrexpo, Old Mutual SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Rensburg AIM VCT AGMS China Rerun Chemical Group Ltd (DI), ECR Minerals, Horizonte Minerals, Hume Capital Securities, IRF European Finance Investments Ltd (DI), Sula Iron & Gold, Turkiye is Bankasi A.S GDR C Shs (Reg S) TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Thomas Cook Group UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Payments (09:30) Consumer Confidence (09:30) Current Account (09:30) GDP (quarterly national accounts) (09:30) GFK Consumer Confidence (00:05) Index of Services (09:30) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Aviva 8 3/8% Cumulative Irrd Preference 1, Henderson Opportunities Trust, Innovation Group, Northern Electricity Prf, Rights & Issues Inv Trust Capital Shares, Rights & Issues Inv Trust Income Shares, Temple Bar Inv Trust   Will you be able to retire in comfort? Download the 15-Minute Retirement Plan by Fisher Investments.   Click here to download! Europe Market Report FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Europe open: Equities gain as German jobless rate falls unexpectedly European equities gained as German reports showed the unemployment rate fell and retail sales rose more than forecast. The German unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 6.4% in March from 6.5% the prior month. German retail sales rose 3.6% year-on-year in February, more than the 3.4% gain expected. Tuesday's agenda also sees the release of Eurozone consumer price data at 09:00 GMT which is expected to show a 0.1% fall this month, easing back from a 0.3% decrease in February. Separately, the Eurozone unemployment rate will released at the same time with the consensus forecast pointing to an unchanged 11.2% in March. Meanwhile, the market continued to watch Greece as Prime Minister Alex Tsipras appealed for a compromise with international creditors on debt negotiations. Greece is reportedly set to run out of cash by 20 April unless the nation's government can reach a deal with lenders to unlock further aid. While Greek stocks have been declining, investors have put cash in an exchange-traded fund tracking the equities every week in 2015 amounting to about $167m, according to data from Bloomberg. Company-wise, Antofagasta rallied amid reports the miner is looking into a merger with Teck Resources. However, the companies denied they were currently in talks to merge. Yoox SpA advanced after agreeing to buy Net-a-Porter business for stock valued at about €719m. Shares of the Swiss owner, Financiere Richemont, slumped. In commodities, Brent crude dropped 1.2% to $55.61 per barrel, according to the ICE. Swissquote offers CFD Trading, an efficient mean of trading indices, commodities and currencies. You can trade on the market whether you think it will go UP or Down! Think the DAX will go Down? Short the DAX… Try CFD Trading with a Free Practice Account losses can exceed your deposit. US Market Report US close: Dow jumps 260 points as stocks rally on Yellen's comments US stocks rallied on Monday, as investors remained buoyed by comments Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen made late on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 263.65 points to 17,976.31, while the S&P 500 and the gained Nasdaq 25 and 56 points respectively. The Fed chairwoman said the central bank would be "uncomfortable" hiking rates if consumer prices, wage growth and other measures of underlying inflation were to weaken. "Wage growth, spending and inflation are the bigger concern of the Fed right now and the core personal consumption expenditure price index is the Fed's preferred inflation measure," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda. Personal incomes in the US grew slightly more quickly than expected last month, but gains in spending failed to meet analysts' forecasts. Consumer expenditures grew by 0.1% month-on-month, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, while incomes grew 0.4% month-on-month in February, in line with analysts' expectations. Analysts at Capital Economics said they expected Fed funds rate to finish 2016 higher than 2.5%. "We dispute Yellen's apparent assertion that the equilibrium real rate is now as low as zero and we're sceptical of the FOMC's unemployment and inflation projections too," they said in a note. "We think the former will fall more rapidly while the latter will rebound sooner." Meanwhile, US pending home sales in February climbed to their highest level since June 2013, figures released on Monday showed. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said its pending-home-sales index increased 3.1% month-on-month to 106.9 from the downwardly revised January's figure, meaning the index has risen 12% from February 2012. In company news, Auspex Pharmaceuticals jumped 41.53% after it had agreed to a $3.2bn takeover offer from sector peer Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Pharmacy-benefit manager group Catamaran Corp surged 23.82% after confirming it had accepted a takeover bid, worth approximately $12.8bn, from UnitedHealth Group, which rose over 2.53%. Shell eggs manufacturer and distributor Cal-Maine Foods slid 1.79% despite reporting that sales climbed 11% in the third quarter on the back of increased demand over the holiday period. Electric carmaker Tesla Motors rose 3.01%, after group chief executive Elon Musk teased investors by tweeting that the company would launch a new product at the end of next month, but it will not be a car. After tumbling on Friday, oil prices slid slightly, with West Texas Intermediate losing 0.25% to $48.99 a barrel, while Brent crude slid 0.05% to $56.38 a barrel. The dollar rose over 0.57% against the euro and the pound and gained 0.74% against the euro, while gold futures slid 1.21% to $1,185.30. S&P 500 - Risers Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) $64.82 +10.16% CONSOL Energy Inc. (CNX) $27.93 +4.37% Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) $5.34 +4.09% HCP Inc. (HCP) $43.81 +3.94% Carmax Inc. (KMX) $69.22 +3.79% Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX) $85.40 +3.67% Staples Inc. (SPLS) $16.70 +3.63% Western Union Co. (WU) $20.40 +3.55% Exelon Corp. (EXC) $33.57 +3.52% EQT Corp. (EQT) $82.70 +3.28% S&P 500 - Fallers Altera Corp. (ALTR) $42.82 -3.54% Mylan Inc. (MYL) $60.00 -2.64% Lorillard Inc. (LO) $66.42 -2.60% GameStop Corp. (GME) $37.69 -1.75% Intel Corp. (INTC) $31.46 -1.69% Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) $69.47 -1.60% Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) $655.36 -1.11% Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT) $84.33 -1.06% H&R Block Inc. (HRB) $31.71 -1.00% Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) $22.02 -0.94% Dow Jones I.A - Risers Boeing Co. (BA) $152.70 +2.59% Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $121.00 +2.53% Chevron Corp. (CVX) $106.90 +2.51% Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) $85.63 +2.45% JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $60.96 +2.37% Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $109.64 +2.34% Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $81.37 +2.13% Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $27.65 +1.92% United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $118.83 +1.65% Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $191.02 +1.57% Dow Jones I.A - Fallers Intel Corp. (INTC) $31.46 -1.69% Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $40.96 -0.02% Nasdaq 100 - Risers Catamaran Corp (CTRX) $59.90 +23.97% Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) $64.82 +10.16% Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX) $85.40 +3.67% Staples Inc. (SPLS) $16.70 +3.63% Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) $190.57 +3.01% Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) $44.12 +2.81% QUALCOMM Inc. (QCOM) $68.88 +2.77% Vimpelcom Ltd Ads (VIP) $5.35 +2.69% Mondelez International Inc. (MDLZ) $36.50 +2.67% Apple Inc. (AAPL) $126.37 +2.53% Nasdaq 100 - Fallers Altera Corp. (ALTR) $42.82 -3.54% Mylan Inc. (MYL) $60.00 -2.64% Intel Corp. (INTC) $31.46 -1.69% Vodafone Group Plc ADS (VOD) $33.22 -0.72% Discovery Communications Inc. Class A (DISCA) $31.09 -0.58% Sba Communications Corp. (SBAC) $120.19 -0.46% Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) $44.95 -0.33% Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) $100.69 -0.31% Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $22.77 -0.26% Access property investments usually reserved for the largest investors Cogress is a property investment firm that give qualified investors access to unique real estate investments.  Past investments made by our management team showed an average of 22.7% returns annually.  Receive our FREE Investment Pack. Newspaper Round Up Tuesday newspaper round-up: RBS, David Cameron, Ed Miliband According to The Times, Rory Cullinan, executive chairman of RBS's corporate and institutional bank, is to leave the bank after it was revealed he was sending social media messages complaining about "bored" meetings. Prime minister David Cameron has promised to create an extra 1,000 new jobs every day if he wins the upcoming election, The Telegraph reported. Ed Miliband will face mutiny threats from his fellow MPs if he goes on with his planned public spending cuts after the election, wrote The Times. Crisis talks were held Monday night over the future of a 20m criminal investigation into newspaper payments for information called Operation Elveden, according to The Times. Britain will offer millions of dollars in tax breaks to digital-game developers in an effort to attract talent, wrote The Wall Street Journal. David Cameron's claim that working families will fact an average tax rise of 3,000 if Labour becomes elected has been slammed as "unhelpful and of little value" by a leading UK think tank, according to The Guardian. The next government needs to radically reform the UK's approach to energy efficiency as previous governments have drastically failed, The Guardian reported. China's Navy expansion has concerned the US as its government has become split on whether to view Beijing as a naval partner or future adversary, according to The Wall Street Journal.   New ADVFN Service - FREE Reports Get your free report on Isa's, Investment Trusts, Funds, Sipps Travel and Cars - FREE and Easy service CLICK HERE To advertise in the Euro Markets Bulletin please contact patrick@advfn.co.uk     To unsubscribe from this news bulletin or edit your mailing list settings click here. Registered Office/Accounts Dept: Suite 27, Essex Technology Centre, The Gable, Fyfield Road, Ongar, CM5 0GA. Customer Support +44 (0) 207 0700 961. Company registered in England and Wales: Number 2374988 VAT No. GB 549 2130 49