Currencies

• EUR/USD dollar strengthened after President Barack Obama said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by the U.S. military in Pakistan.
  • Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by a team of U.S. operatives early yesterday morning after a firefight at a house where he had been hiding, President Obama said.
  • The dollar gained 0.1 percent to $1.4795 per euro around 6a.m. London time.


• USD/JPY Japan's currency snapped two-day gains versus the euro and the dollar as Asian stocks rose after Obama delivered the news to America, increasing demand for higher-yielding assets.
  • The yen declined to 120.55 per euro as of 6:03 a.m. in London from 120.22 in New York last week. Japan's currency slipped 0.34 percent to 81.50 per dollar, after rising to 81.


• GBP/USD The U.S. dollar gained in Asian trading hours on Monday after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden has been killed.
  • The British pound declined 0.17% at $1.6658, from $1.670.

Commodities

• Gold Commodities beat stocks, bonds and the dollar for a fifth straight month, the longest stretch in at least 14 years, as demand for raw materials increases with expanding economies and Federal Reserve promises to boost growth.
  • Bullion for June delivery in New York rose 0.08 percent to $1,557.60 an ounce.

• Oil dropped the most in two weeks in New York after President Barack Obama said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed, stoking speculation that the risk of Middle East supply disruptions will ease.
  • Crude for June delivery slipped as much as $1.72 to $112.21 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $112.63 at 1:38 p.m. Singapore time.

Equities

• U.S. stocks stock futures increased after President Barack Obama said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been killed, almost 10 years after the Sept. 11 attacks that he coordinated.
  • Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures expiring in June climbed 0.5 percent to 1,369.80 at 6:35 a.m. London time.
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average futures expiring in June rose 98 points, or 0.8 percent, to 12,854.


• European stocks posted a second weekly gain, with the Stoxx Europe 600 Index completing the biggest monthly increase this year, as companies from Ericsson AB to Volkswagen AG reported better-than-estimated earnings.
  • Ericsson surged 16 percent as the biggest maker of mobile- phone networks reported first-quarter profit that more than tripled. Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, jumped 12 percent.
  • U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index climbed 0.9 percent.
  • France's CAC 40 gained 2.1 percent, while Germany's DAX rallied 3 percent.


• Asian stocks increased after U.S. companies reported earnings that topped analysts' estimates and after President Barack Obama confirmed Osama bin Laden has been killed.
  • The MSCI Asia Pacific Index increased 0.6 percent to 140.25 at 1:17 p.m. in Tokyo.
  • Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 1.6 percent to 10,012.21.
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped 0.04 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.85%.

Sources: Bloomberg, FT