Danone, EDF, Euler, GDF, Sanofi, Soitec, Trigano: French Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- Shares of the following companies may
rise or fall on the Paris stock exchange today. Symbols are in
parentheses after company names and prices are from the last
close.

July futures on the CAC 40 Index sank 38.5 to 6032.5 at
8:19 a.m. in Paris.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Oil eases on profit-taking, higher US refinery use

(Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Monday as traders took profits after a weekend with no supply disruptions, and looked ahead to a recovery in U.S. refinery use that may boost fuel production.

London Brent crude traded 22 cents lower at $71.19 a barrel by 0242 GMT, after gaining 89 cents on Friday. U.S. light crude eased 23 cents after a $1.11 rally on Friday to the highest settlement since August 2006.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Japan's Shares Rise, Led by Mitsui, Trading Houses, on Oil, Rating Call

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks advanced, led by
trading companies such as Mitsui & Co., after the price of oil
climbed to a 10-month high and a brokerage gave the company its
most bullish recommendation.

Oil advanced 1.6 percent to close above $70 a barrel last
week. Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. initiated coverage of Mitsui
with a ``strong outperform'' rating.


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BNP Paribas leads French M&A league table -survey

(Reuters) - In second place was U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley
which advised on deals worth 45.7 billion euros while
Goldman Sachs took third place.




So far this year, BNP Paribas has advised French reinsurer
Scor on its takeover of Swiss rival Converium
and also advised French insurer AGF over its buyout by
parent company Allianz .


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

EDF, Danone, Gaz de France, Eurotunnel and Nexity: French Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- Shares of the following companies may
rise or fall on the Paris stock exchange today. Symbols are in
parentheses after company names and prices are from the last
close.

The CAC 40 Index rose 48.62, or 0.8 percent, to close at
6054.93 on June 29. The broader SBF 120 Index gained 32.46, or
0.7 percent, to close at 4412.76.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Saudi Aramco Cuts July Propane, Butane Prices by as Much as 2.9 Percent

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Aramco, the world's largest
state oil company, cut prices of liquefied petroleum gas for
loading in July by as much as 2.9 percent from a month ago, a
company official said.

The company lowered propane prices to $575 a metric ton
from $592 a ton in June and reduced butane prices to $595 a ton
from $612 a ton, according to the official who asked not to be
identified because of company policy.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Vietnamese Firms May Seek Record $3 Billion in Loans, Credit Suisse Says

(Bloomberg) -- Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group,
Vietnam National Shipping Lines and other companies from
Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economy may borrow a record $3
billion in the next 12 months, according to Credit Suisse Group.

Vietnamese companies will raise as much as $3 billion from
loans and bond sales, said Amit Khattar, director of loan
syndication in Asia at Credit Suisse. Companies raised $99.2
million of dollar-denominated debt in 2006, according to data
compiled by Bloomberg.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

Malaysia Debt Holdings of Foreign Investors Increase 24 Percent in April

(Bloomberg) -- Foreign investors increased their
holdings of Malaysian debt by 24 percent in April, Bank Negara
Malaysia said.

They raised total holdings to 55.3 billion ringgit ($16
billion) from 44.6 billion ringgit in March, according to Bank
Negara's Web site. The central bank releases the statistics with
a two-month lag.


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Japan's 10-Year Bonds May Rise After Treasuries Gain on Slower Inflation

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese government bonds may rise
for a second day after U.S. Treasuries gained on signs of
slowing inflation in the world's largest economy

Ten-year bonds in Japan last week completed the first back-
to-back weekly advance since March after a government report
showed consumer prices in Tokyo unexpectedly dropped. The Bank
of Japan's Tankan index of confidence among large manufactures
was unchanged at 23 points in June from March.


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Japan Machinery Stocks May Drop on Tankan Spending Plans,Led by Komatsu

(Bloomberg) -- Shares of Japanese machinery makers
such as Komatsu Ltd. may fall after capital spending plans in
the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey missed economists'
forecasts.

Companies plan to boost capital spending by 7.7 percent in
the coming year, lower than a forecast for a 9 percent increase
according to the business confidence survey published 10 minutes
before the start of trading.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

FEATURE-Commercial real estate refuses to cool in New York

(Reuters) - The Woolworth Building, a 1913 Gothic masterpiece in
downtown Manhattan, was set for conversion to luxury
condominiums, but the price of commercial office space has
risen so much that the owners changed course.




Instead of becoming one of the coolest places to live in
New York City, the building will house luxury office space. In
a city where people pay $500,000 for a studio apartment, the
owners -- led by the developers Steven Witkoff and Ruben Schron
-- scrapped a 7-year-old residential plan in May in favor of
the commercial project.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

New Zealand Dollar Advances to Highest Since 1985 on Wider Yield Premium

(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand's dollar rose to its
highest since being allowed to trade freely in 1985 on demand
for the nation's relatively higher-yielding assets.

The currency has been buoyed by New Zealand's record 8
percent benchmark interest rate, the highest after Iceland's
among country's rated Aaa by Moody's Investors Service. It has
gained 36 percent against the yen in the past year as traders
borrow cheaply in Japan's currency to take advantage of higher
returns elsewhere, known as a carry trade. New Zealand's
official cash rate is 7.5 percentage points higher than Japan's.


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

UPDATE 2-Argentine first lady to run for president

(Reuters) - BUENOS AIRES, July 1 - The senator wife of
President Nestor Kirchner will run as the government candidate
in Argentina's October presidential election after he decided
not to seek re-election, a government spokesman said on Sunday.




The decision ends months of speculation fueled by
Kirchner's public suggestions that either he or his wife,
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, would compete in the Oct. 28
vote. Polls show either would easily win.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

U.S. airline unions showing signs of revival

(Reuters) - And ironically, in some ways the beating they took during the downturn gives them strength because there's nothing left to lose, labor experts say.




Airline staff have been cut to the bone and the public's perception about lack of manpower has added to complaints about rising flight delays and cancellations.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Israeli Bonds Rise for Fifth Day on Confidence That Shekel Will Strengthen

(Bloomberg) -- Israel's benchmark Shahar bond rose
for a fifth day as investors expressed confidence that the shekel
will strengthen against the dollar.

The Israeli currency reached a nine-year high against the
dollar in mid-May and has since slid 8 percent. It will probably
maintain its strength now or rise as the dollar weakens further
in international markets, UBS AG said.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News