WESTPAC

IBM, the No. 2 U.S. computer services provider, inked a 10-year services contract with Spain’s biggest savings bank, La Caixa, valued at 2 billion Euros (US $2.6 billion).

European stocks rallied and the euro was well bid Wednesday as investors priced in an improvement in the economic outlook and looked forward to a big take up by banks of the European Central Bank's first-ever offer of three-year loans.

Asian stocks and the euro rose on Wednesday after upbeat U.S. and German data and strong demand for Spanish debt tempered risk-aversion, with investors' focus turning to a European Central Bank tender as a gauge for euro zone funding strains.

Asian shares edged down Tuesday as fears about the ability of politicians on either side of the Atlantic to tackle huge debt burdens sapped investors' confidence in the outlook for Western economies.

Finance officials from the Group of 20 nations on Thursday pledged to preserve financial stability and said central banks were ready to provide liquidity as needed, but a communique after the meeting offered few hints of fresh action to contain Europe's raging debt crisis or revive the faltering global economy.

Gold prices held steady Monday, as concerns about Europe's sovereign debt crisis, its weak financial sector and divisions among leaders about how to solve the crises drove investors into safe-haven securities like the U.S. dollar.

Asian stocks, U.S. index futures and the euro fell on Wednesday as investors remained unconvinced that euro zone leaders have a coherent plan to tackle the bloc's sovereign debt problems, which many fear could trigger a new banking crisis.

A broker has warned borrowers to be wary of chasing cheap fixed rates amid a wave of discounting that proliferate in the industry.

Stocks slipped while the Swiss franc rose and gold hit a record high on Monday as hopes for a political deal to avert a U.S. default began to fade, though investors were mostly seeking to protect their portfolios with no signs of panic selling.

The Dollar price of Gold on wholesale markets continued to rally Friday morning, rising as high as $1516 per ounce - less than 4% off this month's all-time high - before slipping back, while stock and commodity markets recovered some of Thursday's losses.

The Australian share market closed lower amid concerns about a tough upcoming federal budget, strong local dollar and possible interest rate rises sparked by higher inflation figures.

The Australian share market shrugged off negative sentiment in early trading on Monday, to close slightly higher as the big banks made up for softness in the resources sector. At the close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index had risen 9.8 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 4861.9 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had gained 6.1 points, or 0.12 per cent, to 4945.4 points.

The Australian stock market fell, to record the first weekly decline after three of gains, as the prospect of further interest rate hikes in China saw investors err on the side of caution.

The Australian share market pared early losses to close around 0.2 per cent higher, as investors snapped up bank stocks and other cyclicals with attractive dividend yields.

The Australian share market closed higher for a sixth consecutive trading day with activity subdued after the Reserve Bank (RBA) left interest rates unchanged.

The Australian stock market closed higher on Friday on stronger international oil prices and as investors looked past overseas negatives to forthcoming economic data from the United States.

The United States is playing a key role in support of Japan's aid, search, and rescue efforts.

One Australian dollar can get you about 1.37 New Zealand dollars right now. That’s an extreme low level for the New Zealand dollar, according to data compared by Westpac Global Strategy Group.

New Zealand rescue teams worked under search lights early Wednesday to find scores of people trapped under collapsed buildings after an earthquake struck the country's second-biggest city of Christchurch, killing at least 65 people.

Shares in Australian banks and insurers fell between 1.4 and over 2.7 percent after a strong quake hit New Zealand's second-biggest city of Christchurch on Tuesday for the second time in five months.

Australian gaming and wagering company Tatts Group Ltd is considering refinancing its A$700 million in bank debt with its existing lenders after tapping the U.S. private market in December, its chief financial officer said on Wednesday.