NEWS
- German industry output falls for 6th month running
- Japan ruling party puts up $154 bln stimulus plan
- BoE keeps rates at record low, to complete QE plan in 2 months
- ECB's Trichet hints at rate cut, urges FX responsibility
- Germany offers premium for Hypo Real Estate
- South Korea central bank holds interest rates steady at record low
- Treasury Department may allow U.S. life insurers to tap financial bailout funds, Wall Street Journal says
MARKETS
- European shares rise, led by banks, on hopes that stimulus plans announced by several countries could improve spending
- Nikkei hits three-month closing high on economic stimulus plan
- U.S. stock index futures point to a higher open on Wall Street
- Oil rises above $50 on large U.S. distillates draw, rising markets
- Dollar and yen soften against other major currencies as European shares eked gains, renewing appetite for riskier assets
QUOTES
"February's drop in German industrial production confirms that the sector is still in dire straits and suggests that GDP could fall much more sharply in Q1 than in Q4," - Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics.
"In this area (foreign exchange rates), it is important for all partners to be highly responsible." - European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet.
"We suspect that (UK) interest rates are set to stay at 0.5 percent well into 2010 and we also believe that the quantitative easing programme is likely to be extended." - Howard Archer, Global Insight.
"The contents (of Japan's stimulus package) look like temporary measures to front-load demand, but they do not pay attention to increasing productivity on the supply side." - Masamich Adachi, senior economist at JPMorgan in Japan.
DIARY
(all times GMT)
THURSDAY, April 9
WASHINGTON - The Labor Department issues weekly jobless claims at 1230.
WASHINGTON - Freddie Mac issues weekly U.S. mortgage rates after 1400. (Compiled by Equties Desk, London +44 207 542 2192)