A Quick Glance at News

A Quick Glance at News

Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index retreating for a second day from the highest since August 2011, after mixed reports on Chinese manufacturing. Japanese shares advanced on earnings and a weaker yen.

MSCI Asia Pacific Index (MXAP) slid 0.3 percent to 132.86 as of 4:32 p.m. in Tokyo after rising as much as 0.3 percent. Seven shares advanced for every six that fell on the measure, which is headed for a 0.8 percent gain this week.

The labor market in the U.S. probably kept making progress in January even as lawmakers quarreled over the federal budget, economists said before a report today.

Oil headed for the longest run of weekly gains in more than eight years in New York before a report that may show the U.S. added jobs last month, signaling an economic recovery in the world’s biggest crude consumer.

Iran told United Nations monitors it’s installing new centrifuges at its Natanz facility that can enrich more uranium in less time, according to a restricted International Atomic Energy Agency document circulated to members Jan. 30.

Syria warned of a possible "surprise" response to Israel's attack on its territory and Russia condemned the air strike as an unprovoked violation of international law.

The yen slid to its lowest level in more than 2-1/2 years against both the dollar and the euro on Friday, pressured by expectations of more aggressive monetary easing from the Bank of Japan.

Money is going back into Europe... So we're seeing the longer-term investors leaving the safe haven bets, particularly the yen, but we've seen it in sterling as well, we've seen it in Swiss franc," Bargmann said.

Tech stocks mostly fell in early trades on Thursday, with Facebook Inc. and the company now known as BlackBerry leading the declines.

Facebook fell more than 6% as several brokers downgraded the stock following its fourth quarter results, which included a forecast for heavy spending in 2013.

BlackBerry, which still trades under the name Research In Motion, slid more than 9% after Credit Suisse downgraded the stock to underperform.

Sherwin-Williams said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit rose to $117.2 million, or $1.12 a share, from $14.6 million, or 14 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.

MasterCard said Thursday its fourth quarter profit for 2012 was up by 18%. The company reported net income of $605 million or $4.86 a share. Wall Street analysts expected the credit card company to earn $4.80 a share according to a survey by FactSet.

United Parcel Service Inc. said Thursday it swung to a fourth-quarter loss of $2.78 billion, or $1.83 a share, from a profit of $1.2 billion, or 74 cents a share, in the year-ago period.

Hershey Co. posted a fourth-quarter profit of $150 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, compared with $142 million, or 62 cents a share. Adjusted earnings totaled 74 cents a share.

Altria Group Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit rose to $1.1 billion, or 55 cents a share, from $836 million, or 41 cents a share. Adjusted earnings in the latest quarter totaled 55 cents a share.