Currencies

• EUR/USD The 17-nation euro strengthened yesterday as Spain and France sold bonds at lower yields in their first sales of medium and long-term debt since being downgraded by Standard & Poor's.
  • The dollar has fallen 2.3 percent versus the euro since Jan. 13.

• USD/CAD Canada's currency, also known as the loonie, was little changed at C$1.0108 per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. in Toronto after touching C$1.0071, the most since Dec. 8.
  • Canada's currency, also known as the loonie, was little changed at C$1.0108 per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. in Toronto after touching C$1.0071, the most since Dec. 8.

Commodities

• Oil rose in New York, extending its gain for the week, as investors bet fuel demand will rise along with an economic recovery in the U.S.
  • Crude for February delivery advanced as much as 35 cents to $100.74 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 4:36 p.m. Sydney time.

• Gold regained strength on Friday after an early drop in prices spurred bargain hunting from investors in Asia, while a steady euro and rising equities offered additional support for the metal, which is heading for its third week of gains.
  • Spot gold added 0.07 percent to $1,657.89 an ounce by 0718 GMT after falling to a low around $1,653.

Equities

• Asian stocks rose, with a regional benchmark index heading for its fifth straight weekly advance.
  • Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 1.5 percent.
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI) added 0.5 percent.

• US stocks advanced, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 Index higher for a third straight day.
  • The S&P 500 added 0.5 percent.
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 45.03 points.
  • The Nasdaq-100 Index rose 0.7 percent.

• European stocks gained for a fourth day, extending a five-month high for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, as Spain and France sold bonds at lower yields.
  • U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.7 percent.
  • Germany's DAX Index (DAX) climbed 1 percent.

Sources: Bloomberg, FT