Markets afternoon briefing

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Monday Jan 26 2009 FT.com - Financial Markets News Pfizer deal helps temper gloom on Wall St Jan 26 2009 14:03 US stocks were set for a mixed start to the week as investors weighed a rare piece of bid news with a glum assessment of corporate prospects from industrial sector bellwether Caterpillar Read more » Gold breaks $900 barrier Jan 26 2009 12:36 Gold rose above $900 a troy ounce on Monday, hitting a 3-½ month high, and posting record highs in euro and sterling, boosted by investors seeking safe haven from troubled equities markets and expensive government bonds. Read more » Barclays helps FTSE extend gains Jan 26 2009 15:05 London equities marched higher on Monday with Barclays making strong gains after it took the unusual step of issuing an open letter to staff and shareholders after the recent slide in its share price Read more » Pound fights back on Barclays statement Jan 26 2009 10:33 Sterling pared early losses against the dollar on Monday as UK financial stocks recovered some ground after last week's sharp losses following an upbeat statement from Barclays. Read more » European banks gain on state aid packages Jan 26 2009 11:08 Strong gains in the banking sector pushed European shares higher on Monday as investor confidence was bolstered by a further round of state intervention Read more » Japanese shares drop to 3-month low Jan 26 2009 09:30 Japanese shares dropped to a three-month low as investors remained cautious ahead of the third quarter earnings season in which many companies are expected to reveal further evidence of the economic downturn 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.