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The U.S. Federal Reserve held benchmark interest rates steady on Wednesday and said it remained concerned on inflation, but it downgraded its assessment of current economic conditions and left its future policy options open.
The widely expected decision by the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee keeps the overnight federal funds rate target at 5.25%, the level it hit in June after 17 straight quarter-percentage point increases.
In a statement outlining its decision, the Fed dropped a reference that had been contained in its last policy announcement to the possibility of further "firming" of monetary policy, saying simply: "Further policy adjustments will depend on the evolution of the outlook."
< script>getCSS("17703499")< /script>
< script>< /script>| Changes in the Federal Funds Rate (since 2006) |
| Date | Rate | Change |
| Jan 31, 2006 | 4.50 | + 0.25 |
| Mar 28, 2006 | 4.75 | + 0.25 |
| May 10, 2006 | 5.00 | + 0.25 |
| Jun 29, 2006 | 5.25 | + 0.25 |
In addition, the central bank offered a nod to recent signs suggesting the economy is moving ahead only slowly.
"Recent indicators have been mixed and the adjustment in the housing sector is ongoing," the Fed said. "Nevertheless, the economy seems likely to continue to expand at a moderate pace over coming quarters."
Prices for U.S. stocks and government bonds rose, while the dollar fell, as traders in financial markets saw the Fed's shifts in language opening the door to possible rate cuts later in the year.
Still, the Fed said it had not put away its inflation concerns. "The committee's predominant policy concern remains the risk that inflation will fail to moderate as expected," it said.
"More Good Than Bad"
"On balance I think there was more good than bad in the statement," Arthur Hogan, managing director at Jefferies, told CNBC.com. "The Fed sort of leaned in the direction that inflation will ease moving forward and that was reassuring. There was enough balance in the statement to indicated that the Fed is as likely to ease as tighten."
At its previous meeting in January, the central bank had said growth was looking "somewhat firmer." Since then, however, a jump in default rates for mortgages held by less-creditworthy borrowers has sparked worry that mainstream lenders might start having trouble and that it might become more difficult for households and businesses to borrow.
Beyond the subprime sector, there has been little to support the view that housing markets were stabilizing, as the Fed had believed.
A report three weeks ago showed sales of new homes had tumbled almost 17% in January, the largest slide in 13 years, while data this week showed that permits for future home building fell in February.
Meanwhile, a sharp sell-off of U.S. stocks late last month added to worries that consumers, already feeling pinched by stagnating or falling home values, might rein in spending, putting an additional drag on the economy.
Worries About Inflation
Against evidence of weaker growth, there was scant reassurance inflation was moderating as the central bank had hoped.
The 12-month change in the so-called PCE price index, the inflation measure preferred by Fed policy-makers, moved up to 2.3 percent in January from 2.2% in December, above the 1% to 2% comfort zone of many officials.
The Federal Reserve left a key interest rate unchanged on Wednesday while taking note of the recent weaker economic performance and higher inflation pressures.
The central bank voted to leave the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other, at 5.25%. It marked the sixth straight meeting in which the Fed has kept the rate the same.
As it has at previous meetings, the Fed said it was more worried about the risk of inflation than weak economic growth. But this time it dropped language that talked solely about the possibility that interest rates would be increased in the future.
Economists believe it is highly unlikely that the Fed will boost rates in coming months, given troubles in the housing industry and sluggish economic growth.
© 2007 CNBC.comMotorola Lowers 1st Quarter Revenue Guidance to $9.2 -$9.3 Billion from $10.4-$10.6 Billion <!-- INSERT ALERT BEFORE THIS -->
Subprime Market Jitters Subside As Two Lenders Find FundingSectors:Financial ServicesCompanies:Wells Fargo and Co | Accredited Home Lenders Holding Company | Fremont General CorpBy Reuters | 21 Mar 2007 | 03:19 PM
[FMT 10.19 
1.41 (+16.06%) 
]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('FMT','WSODQ_COMPONENT_FMT_EBPBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on the New York Stock Exchange.
[LEND 11.96 1.19 (+11.05%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('LEND','WSODQ_COMPONENT_LEND_EBOBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on Nasdaq.
[WFC 35.48 0.87 (+2.51%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('WFC','WSODQ_COMPONENT_WFC_EBBBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on the NYSE.
Fears that turbulence in the high-risk mortgage market would spread eased on Wednesday after two lenders managed to secure enough money to stay afloat.
Fremont General announced it is selling $4 billion of subprime residential loans to an unidentified buyer, a move that drove its battered stock up
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1.41 (+16.06%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('FMT','WSODQ_COMPONENT_FMT_EBPBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on the New York Stock Exchange. Meanwhile, hedge fund operator Citadel LP has taken a 4.5% stake in Accredited Home Lenders Holding, a San Diego-based subprime lender. Accredited's stock climbed
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1.19 (+11.05%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('LEND','WSODQ_COMPONENT_LEND_EBOBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on Nasdaq. "That consolidation effort makes it less of a contagion," said Mark Ficke, head of U.S. government bond trading at BNP Paribas in New York.
Still, troubled lenders were paying a steep price for their newfound cash.
Accredited will pay a hefty 13% annual interest to Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco hedge fund that has offered the company a five-year loan for $200 million. Fremont itself acknowledged it was taking a $140 million pre-tax hit on the sale of its loans.
It was too early to say whether such fresh sources of funding would be enough to keep a lid on the housing debacle, which many analysts worry could have a ripple effect through the economy.
Investors are especially keen to hear the Federal Reserve's thinking on the matter, with the release of the central bank's policy statement due out in a few hours.
Preemptively, the bond market turned lower on the idea that limited fallout from the subprime crisis would translate into a resilient economy that did not require any additional monetary stimulus.
The latest data hardly pointed to economic acceleration, though, with U.S. mortgage applications slipping even as interest rates hovered near recent lows.
More Subprime Oversight Sought
As the troubles in the subprime market simmered, politicians in Washington have been calling for greater oversight, with a congressional panel expected to hold a hearing on the matter on Thursday.
But executives from New Century Mortgage refused to testify at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on the issue, although executives from four other major subprime lenders are expected to make an appearance. New Century's stock is down almost 18% at $1.39 on the Pink Sheets.
Subprime lenders are struggling because of rising delinquencies and defaults, and in many cases because they lowered their underwriting standards too far. Many, including Fremont, have announced plans to cut jobs.
The layoffs have extended beyond the subprime sector, however, affecting larger banks like Wells Fargo. The fifth-largest U.S. bank said on Tuesday it was eliminating 121 jobs in Tempe, Ariz., in a unit that offers mortgages to higher-risk borrowers.
Wells Fargo's cuts are on top of 323 previously announced job cuts in the home loan unit, including 252 in Fort Mill, S.C., and 71 in Concord, Calif.. Wells Fargo shares slipped
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0.87 (+2.51%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('WFC','WSODQ_COMPONENT_WFC_EBBBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> on the NYSE. Motorola Slashes Guidance; Financial Chief to RetireTopics:CEOs and CFOsSectors:TelecommunicationsCompanies:Motorola IncBy Reuters | 21 Mar 2007 | 04:45 PM
Motorola ('MOT','WSODQ_COMPONENT_MOT_EDCBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> warned on Wednesday after U.S. markets closed that it would post a first-quarter loss, citing weaker-than-expected sales for its mobile devices business.
The company said it expects a first-quarter net loss of 7 cents to 9 cents a share on revenue of $9.2 billion to $9.3 billion.
The company also said it would increase its share repurchase program to $7.5 billion worth of common stock. It also said its Chief Financial Officer David Devonshire would retire effective April 1.
Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.Asian Markets Advance on Hopes of U.S. Interest Rate CutTopics:Economy (U.S.) | Economy (Global) | Market Outlook | Currencies | The Bond Report | Stock MarketSectors:Oil and GasBy CNBC.com | 22 Mar 2007 | 12:41 AM
[NIKKEI 17440.77 277.57 (+1.62%) ]< ('NIKKEI','WSODQ_COMPONENT_NIKKEI_EHEBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> rose to its highest in three weeks with a wide range of blue chip shares such as Sony
[SNE 52.77 0.95 (+1.83%) ]< ('SNE','WSODQ_COMPONENT_SNE_EBFEBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> rising on growing optimism about the U.S. economic outlook following gains on Wall Street. Shares of Hitachi jumped as investors cheered the company's plans for restructuring its hard disk drive business.
Asian stocks rallied to fresh three-week highs in the afternoon session Thursday, led by blue chips and exporters as investors toyed with the prospect of interest rate cuts in the world's biggest economy, Asia's top export market.
The U.S. Federal Reserve, kept its benchmark overnight rates unchanged at 5.25% after its policy-setting meeting Wednesday, dropped an explicit reference to the possibility of taking rates higher in its statement, sparking a surge on Wall Street.
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Average
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277.57 (+1.62%) ]< ('NIKKEI','WSODQ_COMPONENT_NIKKEI_EHEBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> rose to its highest in three weeks with a wide range of blue chip shares such as Sony
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0.95 (+1.83%) ]< ('SNE','WSODQ_COMPONENT_SNE_EBFEBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> rising on growing optimism about the U.S. economic outlook following gains on Wall Street. Shares of Hitachi jumped as investors cheered the company's plans for restructuring its hard disk drive business. In South Korea, rose moderately as exporters such as Samsung Electronics advanced on
hopes the Federal Reserve will cut U.S. interest rates, sparking increased sales in South Korea's second-biggest export market. Hynix Semiconductor was higher, extending a rally after saying this week it had signed cross license deals with Japan's Toshiba Corp. and U.S. storage card maker SanDisk.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index were sharply higher, tracking a rally on Wall Street as investors bet that an interest rate cut in the world's biggest economy may be near, with the top banks and miners leading gains.
Hong Kong stocks climbed as the Fed's softening bias toward higher interest rates helped push up rate-sensitive property stocks. HSBC Holdings leapt amid tentative signs of progress in the subprime mortgage crisis. Chinese shares were also higher led by blue chips.
Singapore's Straits Times Index rose as much as 2% its highest in nearly a month, led by index heavyweights such as DBS Group Holdings, United Overseas Bank and Singapore Telecommunications.
© 2007 CNBC.comwird sich zeigen wie er die Fed Entscheidung darstellt.
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| Spot quotes are non-LME prices |
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| Copper | March 22,01:41 |
| Bid/Ask | 3.0406 | - | 3.0451 |
| Change | +0.0127 | +0.42% | |
| Low/High | 3.0279 | - | 3.0587 |
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| Nickel | March 22,01:41 |
| Bid/Ask | 21.5305 | - | 21.7120 |
| Change | -0.0454 | -0.21% | |
| Low/High | 21.5305 | - | 21.7120 |
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| Aluminum | March 22,01:38 |
| Bid/Ask | 1.2623 | - | 1.2645 |
| Change | +0.0023 | +0.18% | |
| Low/High | 1.2596 | - | 1.2668 |
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| Zinc | March 22,01:41 |
| Bid/Ask | 1.4392 | - | 1.4438 |
| Change | +0.0068 | +0.47% | |
| Low/High | 1.4324 | - | 1.4506 |
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| Lead | March 22,01:41 |
| Bid/Ask | 0.8811 | - | 0.9038 |
| Change | -0.0023 | -0.26% | |
| Low/High | 0.8811 | - | 0.9038 |
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| Uranium | Mar 12, 2007 |
| Ux U308 price: | 91.00 |
| Change from | |
| previous week | +1.00 |
Dow Moves Into Positive Territory As Energy Stocks Rally On Higher CrudeTopics:Economy (U.S.) | Economy (Global) | Market Outlook | Currencies | The Bond Report | Stock MarketSectors:Oil and GasBy CNBC.com | 22 Mar 2007 | 12:19 PM
DOW JONES IND... .DJIA12467.2319.71+0.16,216,980,000NASDAQ NMS CO... .NCOMP2453.45
-2.47-0.1,449,384,900S&P 500 I... .SPX1436.931.89+0.131,233,772,400< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('.DJIA,.NCOMP,.SPX','WSODQ_COMPONENT_EA1BEA15839623','WSODQ',true);< /script>
[CFC 36.03 -0.92 (-2.49%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CFC','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CFC_EBWBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> declined after the lender said subprime mortgage defaults on 2006 loans could turn out to be the worst in the company's history.
[INTU 27.78 -2.22 (-7.4%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('INTU','WSODQ_COMPONENT_INTU_EDUBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> traded down sharply after the tax software maker reported disappointing sales of its TurboTax software. "We think Intuit is losing market share to H&R Block, which reported that its digital tax clients rose 15% at the end of February," said Jim Yin, an analyst with S&P Equity Research.
[AMZN 39.25 -0.55 (-1.38%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('AMZN','WSODQ_COMPONENT_AMZN_EDTBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> shares fell after Borders dropped the online retailer as its third-party distributor.
[US@CL.1 61.49 1.88 (+3.15%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('US@CL.1','WSODQ_COMPONENT_US%40CL.1_EBSBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> moved above $61 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the U.S. government reported a greater-than-expected drop in gasoline stockpiles. Treasury prices fell, sending yields higher.10-Year Note ... US@?US10YY4.5810.047+1.0402-Year Note Y... US@?US2YY4.5490.029+0.640< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('US@?US10YY,US@?US2YY','WSODQ_COMPONENT_EAQBEA15839623','WSODQ',true);< /script>
[CAG 24.96 0.07 (+0.28%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CAG','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CAG_EDOBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> posted better-than-expected third-quarter profit saying cost-cutting measures helped offset costs from a salmonella outbreak linked to its Peter Pan peanut butter.
[CAC40-FR 5602.51 100.33 (+1.82%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CAC40-FR','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CAC40-FR_EDIBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> was higher. Private equity firm Apollo is looking at buying French auto parts maker Valeo, a deal which could be worth about 3.2 billion euros ($4.3 billion), French paper Les Echos reported. Valeo rose 1.5%.
[NIKKEI 17419.2 256.00 (+1.49%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('NIKKEI','WSODQ_COMPONENT_NIKKEI_EHDBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> climbed 1.49% to end at its highest close in three weeks as Canon and other blue chip shares gained growing optimism about the U.S. economic outlook. Shares of Hitachi rose over 3% on the company's plans for restructuring its hard disk drive business, while property shares extended gains ahead of government land price data due out later in the day.
Stocks were mixed at midday and the Dow moved into positive territory as energy stocks were boosted by rising crude oil prices.
"I think the market has gone from worrying about the Fed, which is what we saw yesterday," said Stephen Wood, portfolio strategist at Russell Investment Group. "We're already worrying about earnings, which is what analysts and portfolio managers should be doing."
The major markets spent the bulk of the morning's trade in negative territory due to a weak sales forecast from Motorola, which sparked declines in the tech sector.
< script language=JavaScript type=text/javascript> var storehref;var store_symname ='';var array_symname = store_symname.split(',');var display_name;var new_display; function cnbcwsod_loadchart(symbol,hrefparam,number,symbolname){ var count = number - 1; display_name = (count>=array_symname.length) ? symbolname : array_symname[count]; if (display_name == '' | display_name == ' ' | display_name == 'undefined') { new_display = symbolname; } else { new_display = display_name; } document.getElementById('cnbcchart_symbolEA1BEA').innerHTML = new_display; document.getElementById('thumb_chartEA1BEA').src = symbol; storehref = hrefparam; } function chartlinkload(){ window.location = storehref; }< /script>
Major U.S. IndexesDOW JONES IND... .DJIA12467.2319.71+0.16,216,980,000NASDAQ NMS CO... .NCOMP2453.45-2.47-0.1,449,384,900S&P 500 I... .SPX1436.931.89+0.131,233,772,400< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('.DJIA,.NCOMP,.SPX','WSODQ_COMPONENT_EA1BEA15839623','WSODQ',true);< /script>Energy was the biggest S&P sector winner on Thursday as oil prices continued to rally, while technology was by far the worst performing S&P 500 sector. Financial stocks were also trading lower.
"There are a lot of folks that didn't think the market should have reacted the way it did to the Fed's message yesterday," said Ted Weisberg, president of Seaport Securities. "But clearly, the message was a shot in the arm for the market and, in particular, for the financials. It's almost as the financials go, so goes the market."
Motorola
[MOT 17.59 Motorola Inc (MOT)
17.59 -1.15 -6.14% Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist -1.15 (-6.14%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('MOT','WSODQ_COMPONENT_MOT_EADXBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> said after the bell Wednesday that first-quarter revenue will be in the range of $9.2 billion to $9.3 billion. The consensus sales estimate for the company's first quarter had been around $10.46 billion, according to Thomson Financial. It also predicted a loss of 7 to 9 cents a share, compared with expectations for a profit of 17 cents a share.
Shares of Countrywide Financial
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-0.92 (-2.49%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CFC','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CFC_EBWBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> declined after the lender said subprime mortgage defaults on 2006 loans could turn out to be the worst in the company's history.KB Home
[KBH 47.59 KB Home (KBH)
47.59 -0.20 -0.42% Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist -0.20 (-0.42%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('KBH','WSODQ_COMPONENT_KBH_EBDVBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> posted a lower quarterly net profit, reflecting the sharp decline in the U.S. housing market, although the results came in better than expected.
Shares of Intuit
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-2.22 (-7.4%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('INTU','WSODQ_COMPONENT_INTU_EDUBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> traded down sharply after the tax software maker reported disappointing sales of its TurboTax software. "We think Intuit is losing market share to H&R Block, which reported that its digital tax clients rose 15% at the end of February," said Jim Yin, an analyst with S&P Equity Research.Amazon.com
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-0.55 (-1.38%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('AMZN','WSODQ_COMPONENT_AMZN_EDTBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> shares fell after Borders dropped the online retailer as its third-party distributor.New York light crude futures
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| Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist |
1.88 (+3.15%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('US@CL.1','WSODQ_COMPONENT_US%40CL.1_EBSBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> moved above $61 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the U.S. government reported a greater-than-expected drop in gasoline stockpiles. Treasury prices fell, sending yields higher.Positive economic data released this morning had little effect on investors given this week's rally. The Labor Department said weekly jobless claims dropped by 4,000 to 316,000, compared with economists' consensus forecast of a rise of 2,000 claims.
< script language=JavaScript type=text/javascript> var storehref;var store_symname ='';var array_symname = store_symname.split(',');var display_name;var new_display; function cnbcwsod_loadchart(symbol,hrefparam,number,symbolname){ var count = number - 1; display_name = (count>=array_symname.length) ? symbolname : array_symname[count]; if (display_name == '' | display_name == ' ' | display_name == 'undefined') { new_display = symbolname; } else { new_display = display_name; } document.getElementById('cnbcchart_symbolEAQBEA').innerHTML = new_display; document.getElementById('thumb_chartEAQBEA').src = symbol; storehref = hrefparam; } function chartlinkload(){ window.location = storehref; }< /script>
U.S. Treasurys10-Year Note ... US@?US10YY4.5810.047+1.0402-Year Note Y... US@?US2YY4.5490.029+0.640< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('US@?US10YY,US@?US2YY','WSODQ_COMPONENT_EAQBEA15839623','WSODQ',true);< /script>"What gets me excited about yesterday, the news coming from the Fed actually moved the market through some important technical levels," Doug Sandler, chief equity strategist at Wachovia Securities, told CNBC. "We've been watching 1410 on the S&P. We broke through there with authority."
In other corporate news, packaged food maker ConAgra
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0.07 (+0.28%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CAG','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CAG_EDOBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> posted better-than-expected third-quarter profit saying cost-cutting measures helped offset costs from a salmonella outbreak linked to its Peter Pan peanut butter.General Mills
[GIS 58.26 General Mills Inc (GIS)
58.26 0.38 +0.66% Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist 0.38 (+0.66%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('GIS','WSODQ_COMPONENT_GIS_EADNBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> said third-quarter profit rose 9% as increased sales helped offset rising prices for ingredients. The company, which makes Wheaties and Cheerios, General Mills, which also raised its annual sales guidance, said it earned 74 cents a share in the third quarter, four cents above analysts' consensus estimate.
Adams Respiratory Therapeutics surged after the tiny drugmaker said it agreed to settle a patent dispute with Pharmaceutical Holdings Corp. regarding a chest congestion treatment.
Broad Rally In Europe
European markets were poised to close higher and Asia ended sharply in the green after the Federal Reserve said Wednesday it was moving to a more neutral position on rate policy.
Dutch retailer Ahold gained 1.3% after it reported a fourth-quarter profit of 240 million euros ($322 million), ahead of expectations for earnings of 169 million euros ($226 million) and said it will boost its buyback plan to 3 billion euros ($4 billion).
In Paris, the CAC-40
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100.33 (+1.82%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('CAC40-FR','WSODQ_COMPONENT_CAC40-FR_EDIBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> was higher. Private equity firm Apollo is looking at buying French auto parts maker Valeo, a deal which could be worth about 3.2 billion euros ($4.3 billion), French paper Les Echos reported. Valeo rose 1.5%.And luxury goods group Hermes International reported 2006 net profit of 268.4 million euros ($359.7 million), slightly below expectations of analysts polled by Reuters, who were looking for 269.9 million euros ($361.7 million). Shares of Hermes rose 1.4%.
Frankfurt's DAX
[DAX-XE 6865.18 GERMAN SE XETRA DAX INDEX (DAX-XE)
6865.18 153.12 +2.28% Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist 153.12 (+2.28%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('DAX-XE','WSODQ_COMPONENT_DAX-XE_EADGBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> was also gained as shares of DaimlerChrysler edged up. Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda told a small group of dealers that a sale of the money-losing U.S. automaker will be resolved quickly, The Wall Street Journal reported. And DaimlerChrysler has also outlined ways its Mercedes division will continue to cooperate with Chrysler if it is sold, the Journal said.
And in London, the FTSE-100
[FTIND 6322.5 FTSE 100 INDEX (FTIND)
6322.5 65.70 +1.05% Quote | Chart | News | Profile | Add to Watchlist 65.70 (+1.05%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('FTIND','WSODQ_COMPONENT_FTIND_EADFBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> climbed higher. Retailer Next rose 1.8% after topping earnings growth expectations. But its CEO said the new financial year would be challenging.
Asian Stocks See Big Gains
In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Average
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256.00 (+1.49%) ]< script>cnbc_quoteComponent_init_getData('NIKKEI','WSODQ_COMPONENT_NIKKEI_EHDBEA15839609','WSODQ',true);< /script> climbed 1.49% to end at its highest close in three weeks as Canon and other blue chip shares gained growing optimism about the U.S. economic outlook. Shares of Hitachi rose over 3% on the company's plans for restructuring its hard disk drive business, while property shares extended gains ahead of government land price data due out later in the day. In South Korea, the Kospi Index finished at its highest close in three weeks as exporters such as Samsung Electronics gained on hopes the Federal Reserve will cut U.S. interest rates, sparking more sales to a key export market.
China's main stock index rose was higher, setting a new all-time high as financials and blue chips gained, and fuelling hopes that the index had completed a bullish technical breakout.
Hong Kong stocks gained across the board amid a perceived softening stance by the U.S. Federal Reserve, with HSBC Holdings and property stocks leading the way. China Mobile, however, sank as investors booked profits following its forecast-beating earnings, having pushed up its shares before Wednesday's results.
© 2007 CNBC.com
