Markets afternoon briefing

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Tuesday Jan 06 2009 FT.com - Financial Markets News US stocks could gain ahead of key data Jan 06 2009 13:54 Wall Street stocks were set for higher start as investors hoped for any signs of improvement in the economic outlook ahead of a fresh round of data from the service, industrial and housing sectors Read more » Euro weakens as prices plunge Jan 06 2009 10:44 The euro fell to three-week lows against the dollar and sterling on Tuesday as plummeting eurozone inflation raised expectations that the European Central Bank was set to cut interest rates in the region. Read more » Oil hits $50 as Middle East conflict escalates Jan 06 2009 11:32 Oil prices hit the the $50 a barrel level amid escalating violence in the Middle East as fighting between Israel and Hamas showed little prospect of ending quickly Read more » European stocks lifted by carmakers Jan 06 2009 15:03 Car manufacturers provided a focal point for European equities on Tuesday after news that Porsche had achieved a majority holding in Volkswagen boosted both companies' share prices. Read more » Retailers light up FTSE Jan 06 2009 15:00 London's equity rally looked like holding out to a sixth-consecutive session after well-received trading updates from the high street fostered hope that Chrismas trading was stronger than expected Read more » Moody's downgrades Bahrain outlook Jan 06 2009 11:06 Moody's has lowered its outlook on Bahrain's debt rating to negative from stable as oil prices have declined "well below" the Gulf island's budgetary plans and the credit crunch hurts the country's financial industry Read more » Asia Pacific rises for ninth consecutive day Jan 06 2009 09:08 The yen weakened overnight and oil and commodity prices rose, boosting Asia Pacific shares which rose for the ninth day in a row – the longest series of consecutive daily gains since for the MSCI Asia Pacific index since August 2004 Read more » ABOUT THIS EMAIL You have received this email because you have signed up for this briefing on FT.com Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | Change your email address Change whether you receive this email as HTML or plain text | Forward this email to a friend Privacy policy | Advertise | Contact © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. The Financial Times Limited, registered in England and Wales number 227590. Registered office: Number One Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HL. VAT number GB 278 5371 21.