Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set to open slightly higher on Thursday, extending their recovery into a second session as investors grappled with a global exodus from equities. The local share price index futures rose 28 points to 5,818.0, a 58.8-point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark rose 0.8 percent on Wednesday.New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50...Read More

TORONTO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Canada's benchmark stock index closed lower as lower oil and metals prices weighed on energy companies and miners. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended the session down 33.35 points, or 0.2 percent, at 15,330.58. (Reporting by Nichola Saminather, editing by G Crosse) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and ma...Read More

(Adds comment from Fidelity)By Tim McLaughlinBOSTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Fidelity Investments has lured an executive from a rival firm to help stem billions of dollars in outflows from its flagship retirement franchise. The mutual fund giant said on Wednesday it had hired AllianceBernstein executive Vadim Zlotnikov to take over its $440 billion global asset allocation division. Zlotnikov will repor...Read More

(Repeats to additional subscribers)* Dollar index rises for fourth straight session* Euro slips on finance minister reports, ECB's Nowotny comments* Wall Street rebounds further from Monday's rout By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar rose on Wednesday, marking its biggest one-day gain in more than three months against a basket of currencies, even as Wall Street recovered...Read More

WELLINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) governor Grant Spencer said on Thursday that recent global market volatility was a "a warning sign" of investor nervousness towards interest rate normalisation.Spencer told journalists that if the recent volatility in equity markets filtered through to interest rate markets, it could pose a risk to the RBNZ's rate projectio...Read More

George McDonaugh, chief executive at KR1 Plc (LON:KR1), tells Proactive the company was set up to allow investors access to the crypto markets through a publicly-listed share.    ''We go out using our network and our understanding of what's on offer and why it's important .. and we choose projects, projects we can back early and get good allocations in''.''Over time we'll build...Read More

Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed lower in an up-and-down session on Wednesday, dragged down by tech and energy shares, as investors adjusted to a more volatile market following wild swings of the past few sessions.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 19.7 points, or 0.08 percent, to 24,893.07, the S&P 500 lost 13.51 points, or 0.50 percent, to 2,681.63 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 63....Read More

Paul Baay, chief executive of Touchstone Exploration Inc (LON:TXP, CVE:TXP), tells Proactive they've kicked off a new ten-well drill programme in Trinidad.The first well, PS-602, is located in the Grand Ravine WD-4 Block.A second rig is expected to join the campaign during February.  Meet Anglo Asian Mining Plc, Condor Gold PLC, Connemara Mining and Papua Mining PLC at our event, London, 08 F...Read More

Gattaca Plc (LON:GATC) was among the market's biggest faller in late afternoon trading, dropping 18% to 205p after a profit warning and on news its chief executive officer, Brian Wilkinson has tendered his resignation as he wishes to retire from full time executive roles.In a statement, the group said Wilkinson will step down from the board with immediate effect and the board has commenced the pro...Read More

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australia's AMP Ltd on Thursday posted a 114 percent rise in full-year underlying earnings, helped by a recovery in its Australian wealth protection earnings and strong operating earnings growth from AMP Bank.AMP reported underlying earnings of A$1.04 billion ($814 million) for the year ended Dec. 31, up from A$486 million last year. The results topped the average estimate of A$1...Read More

Renforth Resources (CSE:RFR) is pleased to announce that stripping work completed in the Fall of 2017 has identified an ~565m2 bulk sample target area with an average grade of 0.76 g/t Au located in two veins.Read full newsRead More

Spearmint Resources (TSXV:SRJ) is pleased to announce that it has received the NOI (Notice of Intent to Drill) from the State of Nevada Commission On Mineral Resources to drill it's 100 percent owned Clayton Valley lithium prospect.Read full newsRead More

(Adds comment from State Street)By Nate RaymondBOSTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday brought a new charge against a former State Street Corp executive accused of participating in a scheme to defraud clients by charging them secret commissions on billions of dollars of trades.Ross McLellan, a former executive vice president at the bank, was previously charged in an indictment fil...Read More

It's another volatile session on Wall Street today, with the Dow last seen sporting a triple-digit lead. Among individual stocks moving higher today are Oprah favorite Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE:WTW) and media stock tronc Inc (NASDAQ:TRNC), though burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is struggling once again. Here's a closer look at what's moving shares of WTW,...Read More

BRASILIA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank cut interest rates to an all-time low on Wednesday, with a smaller reduction than in previous meetings, hinting at the end of the deepest easing cycle in a decade.The bank's nine-member monetary policy committee, known as Copom, cut the benchmark Selic rate by 25 basis points to 6.75 percent, capping a 750 basis-point decline since October 2016. Th...Read More

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Argentina sold $4.6 billion in bonds and Treasury notes, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday, as the government seeks to raise $30 billion in 2018 to finance a primary fiscal deficit seen at 3.2 percent of gross domestic product. The government sold 70.481 billion pesos ($3.58 billion) in one-year peso-denominated bonds, for which it received 74.189 billion pesos...Read More

Investors sold off copper on Wednesday as the US dollar strengthened and equity and bond market volatility spilled over onto commodity markets.Comex copper plunged more than 3% to a low of $3.085 a pound ($6,800 per tonne) in New York, an eight-week low. Volumes were particularly heavy, with more than 185,000 lots worth some $14.3 billion traded by the close. After a 30% jump in 2017, copper ha...Read More

(Repeats to cover second alert chain)WELLINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept interest rates on hold on Thursday, as expected, and said economic growth was expected to strengthen due to accommodative policy, a high terms of trade, government spending and population growth.The central bank kept interest rates unchanged at a record low of 1.75 percent, and said that longer...Read More

* Volatility gauge VIX falls, but above recent levels* Tech, energy weigh, industrials gain* Wynn Resorts climbs after Steve Wynn quits as CEO* Dow up 0.23 pct, S&P down 0.13 pct, Nasdaq down 0.64 pct (Updates to late afternoon)By Lewis KrauskopfFeb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slipped in choppy trading on Wednesday as technology and energy stocks fell, while investors adjusted to a market with g...Read More

WELLINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept interest rates on hold on Thursday, as expected, and said economic growth was expected to strengthen due to accommodative policy, a high terms of trade, government spending and population growth.The central bank kept interest rates unchanged at a record low of 1.75 percent, and said that longer-term inflation expectations were well...Read More