Markets morning briefing

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Thursday Feb 19 2009 FT.com - Financial Markets News Fresh cash calls limit FTSE's gains Feb 19 2009 08:53 Property companies remained pressure on London's equities market as two more big names from the sector moved to tap existing investors for fresh capital, limiting a recovery in the wider market Read more » Asian shares edge higher but caution lingers Feb 19 2009 04:33 Asian shares edged higher as recent selling pressure eased and the safe-haven bid for the dollar and gold retreated, but reminders of the global economic gloom and financial sector woes kept investors cautious Read more » Fed adopts a de facto inflation target of 2% Feb 19 2009 02:31 Move by the US central bank mirrors the formal target at the European Central Bank and comes as policymakers cut growth forecasts and raise projections for unemployment Read more » Concerns for haven status hit the yen Feb 18 2009 23:26 The yen dropped sharply on Wednesday amid a growing sense that the Japanese currency was losing its haven appeal. Analysts said the sharp contraction in the Japanese economy announced earier in the week had shaken confidence Read more » Banks to comply with ESF principles Feb 19 2009 00:04 Several banks and the leading ratings agencies have agreed to a set of principles designed to govern reporting standards and improve transparency in the moribund securitisation industry Read more » Fund managers sense ripples of optimism Feb 18 2009 22:19 The number of fund managers predicting the global economy will worsen over the next 12 months has fallen to the lowest level since the onset of the credit crisis, according to a survey Read more » Investor indexes highlight Japanese worry Feb 18 2009 22:40 Two of Japan's key market indicators have hit extreme levels in a sign of increasing concern by investors for the domestic economy Read more » European banks volatile after earnings figures Feb 18 2009 23:06 Banks continued to weigh heavily on European equities as a handful of mildly positive earnings were overshadowed by continuing trepidation over eastern European economies Read more » Mortgage plans fail to lift Wall Street Feb 19 2009 00:01 A much-anticipated plan from the Obama administration to help struggling homeowners stave off foreclosures failed to stop US stocks from hitting a fresh three-month low Read more » FTSE retests 4,000 mark Feb 18 2009 23:00 Returning fears about capital positions in the sector kept London equities under pressure on Wednesday helped take the benchmark index under a key support level 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.