GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares rise as China data soothes growth worry
TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) - Asian shares kicked off the second quarter in positive territory on Monday as risk appetite returned after China manufacturing data dispelled fears of a hard landing in the world's second biggest economy.
"We continue to expect cautious, though supportive, monetary policy easing," ANZ Bank said in a research note. "China's manufacturing sector continues to expand, consistent with our view that the economy's momentum is strengthening."
COMMODITIES-CRB up for another quarter; gasoline leads gains
NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Grains and soybean markets staged sharp rallies on Friday after a bullish U.S. crop report, and gasoline racked up the biggest gains in March to put commodities up for a second straight quarter.
Japan, not Iran, may be oil market's focus in April
--Robert Campbell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own--
NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - The showdown between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear program remains the overarching risk facing oil markets but in the near term, nuclear power in Japan may well become the short term focus for traders.
The near total shutdown of Japan's nuclear power industry since last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami turned the Japanese electricity sector into a surprise source of oil demand growth in Asia last year.
Oil release now more likely
--John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own—
LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Unless oil prices drop for other reasons, the United States and other governments appear set to release crude and product stocks from their strategic reserves before or during the summer in a bid to slow the rise in prices, avert an economic slowdown and sustain support for their strategy of sanctions on Iran.
The probability of a release is now more than 50 percent. The only remaining questions concern the timing and scale of releases; how many countries take part; whether they will receive support from other reserve holders such as China; and whether swing-producer Saudi Arabia will help the effort by maintaining higher than normal exports even as commercial inventories rise.
OIL-Oil ends quarter up 14 pct on Iran, supply problems
NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Oil rose on Friday to post the biggest quarterly gain since the beginning of 2011 as the growing threat of a disruption of Iranian exports added to supply concerns.
"The Obama news caused an initial pop up, but then there was a realization it wasn't going to happen immediately and there's been a shift from focus on a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to whether or not reserves are going to be released," said Dominick Caglioti, broker at Frontier Trading Co. in New York, referring to threats made by Tehran earlier this year to block the key oil shipping strait.
NATURAL GAS-US natgas futures lose for 5th day, front hits 10-yr low
NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Front-month U.S. natural gas futures ended Friday with another slide to a 10-year low, as light demand and record high supplies pressured prices in the biggest quarterly decline in two years.
"The fundamentals have probably never been this bearish. Storage is higher than its ever been at this time, and the weather outlook is pretty mild," said Steve Mosley at SMC Advisory Services in Arkansas.
EURO COAL-Prices rise, Asian buying calms market
LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Prompt physical coal prices rose by nearly $2 a tonne on Friday following Xstrata's first quarterly term settlement at $115 FOB Newcastle to Japanese utilities and absorption of surplus coal by South Korea.
"The panic's over for now. Nobody's dumping coal like they were recently," one European utility said.
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