* KOSPI index falls more than 2.5 pct at opening, foreigners sell* Korean won reaches near 1,100 level versus U.S. dollar* South Korea bond yields were up SEOUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korea's KOSPI stock index slid early Friday following fresh losses in Wall Street, which made investors turn away from riskier assets. The Korean won faltered, while...Read More

SHANGHAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - China's central bank said it will skip open market operations for the 12th straight trading day on Friday as liquidity levels in the banking system were "relatively high".On a net basis, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) will not inject nor drain any funds from the money market for the day, as there are no reverse repos due to mature on Thrusday.The PBOC drain...Read More

Zinc smelters are set to accept lower fees for processing concentrate into metal when annual contracts are hammered out next week at a conference in California, as a crunch in mine supply stretches into a third year.Read full newsRead More

SEOUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - South Korea's economy will continue to recover with improving exports and investment activities, even as job growth remains weak, the finance ministry said on Friday. Shipments of memory chips will post robust growth thanks to soaring global demand, although slowing job growth for young South Koreans is holding back overall growth, the ministry said in its monthly assessme...Read More

* Yen near 4-month high as position unwinding continues* Euro could post biggest weekly loss since Nov 2016 By Hideyuki SanoTOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The yen neared a four-month high against the dollar on Friday as global stock markets plunged again, triggering a rush into traditional safe-haven currencies.The worsening risk sentiment and higher volatility also means many market players are now be...Read More

* Major indexes plunge, S&P 500 falls 3.8 percent* Dow industrials fall more than 1,000 points* U.S. 10-year note yields approach four-year highs (Adds market cap loss)By Lewis KrauskopfNEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks plunged around 4 percent on Thursday in another dramatic session, confirming a correction that has thrown the market's nearly nine-year bull run off course.The bottom of...Read More

Mine production rose "fractionally" from 3,263 tonnes in 2016 to 3,268.7 tonnes in 2017, the World Gold Council says in its latest report on demand trends.Read full newsRead More

SAO PAULO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Latin American equities fell sharply on Thursday, as local markets continued to mirror global caution following a sell-off in North America and Europe, while fears of more restrictive regional monetary policy also took a toll.Mexico's IPC was the region's biggest loser, falling 2.28 percent, while Brazil's Bovespa fell 1.49 percent. Chile's blue-chip IPSA index and Col...Read More

(Adds details on funds, analyst quote, table, byline)By Trevor HunnicuttNEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S. fund investors sucked $23.9 billion out of the stock market during the latest week, marking the largest withdrawals from those funds on record, Lipper data showed on Thursday, as the benchmark S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrials indexes sank further from their record highs.The withdrawals fro...Read More

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.The TimesSenior officials in the Qatari government are set to challenge the evidence of Carillion Plc directors who at parliamentary hearings this week blamed the Gulf state for the construction company's demise. Talktalk Tele...Read More

* PREVIOUS TRADING SESSION MOVES:* SSEC -1.4 pct, CSI300 -0.9 pct, HSI +0.4 pct* HK->Shanghai Connect daily quota used 10.4 pct, Shanghai->HK daily quota used 14.5 pct* HK->Shenzhen Connect daily quota used 13.2 pct, Shenzhen->HK daily quota used 1 pct* CNY official close 6.3185 per dollar* FTSE China A50 -2.0 pct, BNY Mellon ADR China Select Index -3.6 pct SHANGHAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) -...Read More

* Dow, S&P 500 down more than 10 pct from Jan. 26 record highs* U.S. 10-yr note yields approach 4-yr highs earlier* Sentiment in stock markets remains frail (Updates with graphic, details on U.S. bonds and stocks)By Caroline ValetkevitchNEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The selloff in world stock indexes deepened on Thursday, with the fall in U.S. stocks confirming a correction for the market, in an...Read More

(Adds interview with Renner CFO Laurence Gomes)By Gram Slattery and Flavia BohoneBRASILIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Lojas Renner SA , Brazil's biggest apparel retailer, missed fourth-quarter profit estimates on Thursday, as a sharp increase in costs outpaced growing revenue amid an aggressive expansion drive.In a statement, Renner said net income totaled 332 million reais ($101 million), up 10.7 percent...Read More

Feb 9 (Reuters) - For other diaries, please see:Top Economic Events Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News DATECOUNTRY AUCTION DETAILS12-FebNorwayAuction of Treasury bills12-FebItaly Bills auction13-FebItaly Medium-long term auction13-FebSpain Auction of 6- and 12-month Treasury bills14-FebGermany Auction of 30-year Federal bonds14-FebJapan Auction of 5-year government b...Read More

Feb 9 (Reuters) - For other diaries, please see:Top Economic Events Government Debt Auctions Political and General News Events Index of All Diaries Guide to Economic Indicators -----------------------------------------------------------This Diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events -----------------------------------------------------------FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9SINGAPORE - ASEAN Finance and Centra...Read More

Feb 9 (Reuters) -For other diaries, please see:U.S. Federal Reserve Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News ----------------------------------------------------------- This Diary is filed daily. Indicates new events -----------------------------------------------------------FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9ATHENS - The EU's economic affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici visits Athens fo...Read More

(Adds more results, EBITDA)By Gram Slattery and Flavia BohoneBRASILIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Lojas Renner SA , Brazil's biggest apparel retailer, missed fourth-quarter profit estimates on Thursday, as a sharp increase in costs outpaced growing revenue amid an aggressive expansion drive.In a statement, Renner said net income totaled 332 million reais ($101 million), up 10.7 percent from the same perio...Read More

SEOUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - South Korea vowed on Friday to strengthen monitoring of financial markets and said it will take action to stabilise markets should uncertainty spread."We will take measures should market anxieties spread excessively," a senior finance ministry official told Reuters by phone, asking not to be identified because of government policy.He also said recent dent in the...Read More

There are two critical numbers that gold investors and traders need to watch carefully for signs of support: fifty and fifty. The first critical number represents gold’s 50-day moving average. The second critical number represents a 50% retracement of the most recent rally. Interestingly enough, these two numbers intersect at roughly the same price point in gold.Market technicians utilize th...Read More

There are two critical numbers that gold investors and traders need to watch carefully for signs of support: fifty and fifty. The first critical number represents gold’s 50-day moving average. The second critical number represents a 50% retracement of the most recent rally. Interestingly enough, these two numbers intersect at roughly the same price point in gold.Market technicians utilize th...Read More