Markets afternoon briefing

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Friday May 01 2009 FT.com - Financial Markets News Earnings and economic data weigh on Wall St May 01 2009 15:31 Wall Street struggled for momentum as uncertainty over banks' stress tests and mixed economic data saw equities markets remain flat Read more » Pound boosted by positive data May 01 2009 11:12 The British pound was boosted against major global currencies after the release of better-than-expected UK manufacturing data Read more » London sugar prices jump to 2 ½ year high May 01 2009 14:07 Sugar prices jumped with London white sugar hitting a fresh 2 ½ year high, underpinned by bets that India, the world largest consumer, will need further imports this year and possible in 2010 to fill a gap in its domestic production Read more » FTSE's rally pauses for breath May 01 2009 14:59 London equities took a small step lower on Friday, with financial stocks handing back some of their recent strong gains after reports the results of the US' stress tests on banks would be delayed Read more » Japan hits a four-month closing high May 01 2009 10:24 Japanese stocks struck a four-month closing high on Friday and higher-yielding currencies held gains as investors favoured riskier assets, with improvements in Chinese manufacturing and South Korean exports adding to evidence of a global economy on the mend Read more » Japan edges back into deflation May 01 2009 08:38 Japan has edged back into deflation for the first time in more than a year, March figures showed, as joblessness rises, showing the world's No.2 economy faces many problems even as its major manufacturers show signs of stabilising 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.