WELLINGTON: Asian stocks are eyeing a soft start on Thursday, as weakness in the outlook for major TECHNOLOGY [] companies renewed fears of a weaker economy, while Swiss measures to halt the franc's rise frustrated investors seeking harsher steps.
The main Wall Street indexes were flat with the exception of the tech-heavy Nasdaq which fell 0.5 percent.
A disappointing sales forecast from computer-maker Dell Inc ''reignited fears over the economic outlook which had been pushed to one side as investors were worried wider business spending would suffer.
After-hours reporting by tech companies did nothing to lift the mood, as NetApp Inc's revenue missed expectations while JDS Uniphase warned of a weak first-quarter outlook.
Asian stocks listed on Wall Street rose 0.47 percent while world stocks, as measured by the MSCI world equity index, gained 0.35 percent.
British shares fell 0.5 percent although European shares edged 0.3 percent higher, as banks struggled after the disappointing France-Germany summit.
The Swiss franc pushed higher after the Swiss National Bank stopped short of introducing a peg in its bid to ''stem its rise, while the U.S. dollar slipped across the board, edging closer to a record low against the yen .
Japanese markets are set for a flat start, as investors nervously eye the key 9,000 support level in the face of a stronger currency. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago just 5 points above the last closing level in Osaka.
Australian stocks are set for a poor start, with share price index futures down 12 points to be at a 43.9 point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. ' Reuters
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The main Wall Street indexes were flat with the exception of the tech-heavy Nasdaq which fell 0.5 percent.
A disappointing sales forecast from computer-maker Dell Inc ''reignited fears over the economic outlook which had been pushed to one side as investors were worried wider business spending would suffer.
After-hours reporting by tech companies did nothing to lift the mood, as NetApp Inc's revenue missed expectations while JDS Uniphase warned of a weak first-quarter outlook.
Asian stocks listed on Wall Street rose 0.47 percent while world stocks, as measured by the MSCI world equity index, gained 0.35 percent.
British shares fell 0.5 percent although European shares edged 0.3 percent higher, as banks struggled after the disappointing France-Germany summit.
The Swiss franc pushed higher after the Swiss National Bank stopped short of introducing a peg in its bid to ''stem its rise, while the U.S. dollar slipped across the board, edging closer to a record low against the yen .
Japanese markets are set for a flat start, as investors nervously eye the key 9,000 support level in the face of a stronger currency. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago just 5 points above the last closing level in Osaka.
Australian stocks are set for a poor start, with share price index futures down 12 points to be at a 43.9 point discount to the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index. ' Reuters
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