The market is down 3. SFE Futures were up 2 this morning.

Dow Jones up 72. The Dow was up 109 at best. The Dow was up all day on the back of local economic data, the Spanish government handing down a budget with spending cuts of 39 billion euros and on news that the Chinese central bank will inject a record $57.92 billion into their financial system (ahead of their upcoming Golden Week holiday). The risk trade was back on in the US with utilities stocks down, metals up and gold up to a seven month high.

Spain’s 2013 budget saw the government pledge themselves to meet Madrid’s public deficit targets and comply with the EU (seen as positive) despite unemployment of around 25% and high interest payments on the country’s debt. Only pensioners were spared on the list of announced cuts designed to ensure Spain meets the commitment of the European Union to get the country’s deficit under control. “It is a budget for a period of crisis, but aimed at getting out of this crisis,” said Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria. Spain hopes to slash the deficit from 8.9% to 6.3% this year, 4.5% in 2013 and 2.8% in 2014. “It is a major commitment to reducing the public deficit but also oriented towards economic growth and creating employment” said Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro. The focus is on spending cuts, the government said, but retirement pensions are expected to go up by 1%, sticking to a pre-election promise of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government.

European markets mixed — UK FTSE up 0.20%, German DAX up 0.19%, France up 0.72%, Spain down 0.15% after their budget announcement although the 10 year bond yield fell, Italy up 0.27% and Greece down 1.68%.

Metals up — Copper up 0.71%, Nickel up 1.64%, Aluminium up 1.80% and Zinc up 0.70%. The spot iron ore price unchanged at $104.20. A$ is at 104.45.

  • Alesco Corp (ALS) has recommended the Dulux takeover offer to their shareholders after reaching an agreement with DuluxGroup (DLX). Alesco will pay their shareholders a special dividend of 27c on top of DLX’s offer if they take a 90% stake in Alesco. Under the newly agreed terms, the offer includes dividends of 42c, made up of 15c from DLX and 27c from ALS.
  • Ansell Limited (ANN) has completed the $126 million purchase of Comasec SAS and its subsidiaries. ANN is down 1.3% to 1561.5c.
  • Caltex Australia (CTX) has confirmed their Kurnell refinery in Sydney will close in the second half of 2014. The company plans to convert the refinery into a fuel import terminal due to financial pressures caused by cheap labour costs and newer, larger and more efficient refineries in Asia. CTX is up 1.6% to 1615.5c.
  • Sundance Resources (SDL) have gone into trading halt ahead of an expected announcement from their Chinese bidder Hanlong Mining. SDL is in trading halt.
  • CSL Limited (CSL) — A number of brokers saying take profits after the recent run. One broker has a $41 target price. CSL down 75c to 4525c.

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