GLOBAL MARKETS-Markets ease, focus moves to growth, oil
TOKYO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Asian shares and the euro fell on Thursday on concerns over a slowdown in the global economy, including higher oil prices and data showing the euro zone may be sliding toward recession, fanning fresh worries about Greece.
"Despite this year's impressive rally in equity markets, sector performance shows signs that higher energy prices could slow the market advance and may portend some loss of economic momentum," they said.
COMMODITIES-Brent oil at 9-mth highs; gold at 3-mth peaks
NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - London's Brent crude oil hit nine-month highs on Wednesday on worries over Iran's growing confrontation with the West, while gold prices rose to three-months peaks as technical charts pointed to a bull run.
"We've got a tug of war here between Iran tensions and slowing global economic growth," said Mark Waggoner, president at Excel Futures, an oil and commodities broker in Bend, Oregon.
Brent oil rises to 9-month high on Iran tension
NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Brent rose to a nine-month high on Wednesday on heightened tensions between the West and Iran, after U.N. inspectors sent to visit the country's nuclear installations declared their mission a failure.
"We've got a tug of war here between Iran tensions and slowing global economic growth," said Mark Waggoner, president of Excel Futures in Bend, Oregon.
Japan cuts in Iran crude imports could be over 20 pct-media
TOKYO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Japan is in final talks with Washington on an agreement on cuts in Iranian crude oil imports that could amount to more than 20 percent a year, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday, as Tokyo seeks to win waivers from U.S. sanctions.
Japan and the United States will reach a basic agreement by the end of February, sparing Japan's three main banks that currently handle payments to Iran from penalties, the Washington-datelined report said, without citing sources.
US natural gas futures end higher ahead of stocks data
NEW YORK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures ended higher on Wednesday after early selling, propped up by expectations for a supportive weekly inventory report on Thursday and recent drilling declines despite still-high supplies and another week of fairly mild winter weather.
"The weather is getting milder and spring is right around the corner and even with a modestly strong withdrawal from inventory, ... (storage is) on a path to set an all-time record high level at the end of the winter heating season," Energy Management Institute's Dominick Chirichella said in a report.
Euro Coal-Prices move up slightly with strong oil
LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Prompt physical coal prices rose by around 50 cents on Wednesday in line with oil's gains but aside from a few Calendar 2013 trades, activity was muted.
"There's still far too much coal, in Europe especially and this rise in prices can't be justified by fundamentals, which are weak," one European trader said.
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