(index / closing price / change items /% change)

Nikkei 225 17,935.64 +15.19 +0.08%

Hang Seng 24,047.67 +45.03 +0.19%

Shanghai Composite 3,021.52 +83.88 +2.86%

FTSE 100 6,672.15 -70.69 -1.05%

CAC 40 4,375.48 -44.00 -1.00%

Xetra DAX 10,014.99 -72.13 -0.72%

S&P 500 2,060.31 -15.06 -0.73%

NASDAQ Composite 4,740.69 -40.06 -0.84%

Dow Jones 17,852.48 -106.31 -0.59%

Stock indices closed lower on comments by the European Central Bank's Governing Council Member Ewald Nowotny. He expressed concerns about the health of the Eurozone's economy.

The cut of Italy's credit rating by S&P weighed on stocks and weak Chinese trade data also weighed on markets. S&P downgraded Italy's credit rating to BBB- from BBB late on Friday.

China's imports fell 6.7% in November, after a 4.6% rise in October. Exports climbed 4.7% in November, after 11.6% gain in October.

The Sentix investor confidence index for the Eurozone increased to -2.5 in December from -11.9 in November. Analysts had expected the index to climb to -9.9.

German industrial production rose 0.2% in October, in line with expectations, after a 1.1% gain in September. September's figure was revised down from a 1.4% increase.

Indexes on the close:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 6,672.15 -70.69 -1.05%

DAX 10,014.99 -72.13 -0.72%

CAC 40 4,375.48 -44.00 -1.00%

U.S. stock-index futures declined as Chinese trade data missed forecasts and oil companies slid as crude continued a selloff.

Global markets:

Nikkei 17,935.64 +15.19 +0.08%

Hang Seng 24,047.67 +45.03 +0.19%

Shanghai Composite 3,021.52 +83.88 +2.86%

FTSE 6,683.89 -58.95 -0.87%

CAC 4,381.31 -38.17 -0.86%

DAX 10,032.53 -54.59 -0.54%

Crude oil $64.37 (-2.22%)

Gold $1194.70 (+0.36%)

(company / ticker / price / change, % / volume)

Upgrades:

eBay (EBAY) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel

United Tech (UTX) upgraded to Outperform from Mkt Perform at Bernstein

Downgrades:

Yandex (YNDX) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS

Nike (NKE) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Telsey Advisory Group

Other:

Home Depot (HD) target raised to $110 from $105 at Argus

Apple (AAPL) target raised to $135 from $120 at Citigroup

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) target raised to $114 from $110 at RBC Capital Mkts

McDonald's (MCD) resumed at Neutral at Goldman, target $90

Starbucks (SBUX) resumed at Buy at Goldman, target $95

Stock indices traded lower after the cut of Italy's credit rating by S&P weighed on stocks and weak Chinese trade data. S&P downgraded Italy's credit rating to BBB- from BBB late on Friday.

China's imports fell 6.7% in November, after a 4.6% rise in October. Exports climbed 4.7% in November, after 11.6% gain in October.

The Sentix investor confidence index for the Eurozone increased to -2.5 in December from -11.9 in November. Analysts had expected the index to climb to -9.9.

German industrial production rose 0.2% in October, in line with expectations, after a 1.1% gain in September. September's figure was revised down from a 1.4% increase.

Current figures:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 6,687.27 -55.57 -0.82%

DAX 10,035.26 -51.86 -0.51%

CAC 40 4,386.15 -33.33 -0.75%

Bloomberg

Dollar Gauge at Five-Year High as Kiwi, Aussie Decline on China

A gauge of the dollar headed for its highest close in more than five years after China said imports unexpectedly fell in November, underpinning demand for the currency of the U.S. where growth is beating forecasts.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-07/dollar-extends-rallies-versus-yen-aussie-as-economies-diverge.html

Reuters

Bank on 'Super Mario' to give Europe a monetary jolt

(Reuters) - From his office on the 41st floor of the gleaming new European Central Bank headquarters, Mario Draghi's view stretches far beyond Frankfurt's high-rise financial centre and he doesn't like what he sees.

The darkening outlook for the euro zone's flat and nearly inflation-less economy, exacerbated by tumbling oil prices, is driving him inexorably towards radical action.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/ecb-policy-draghi-idUKKBN0JM0O120141208

Reuters

China faces more pressure as November imports shrink unexpectedly, exports slow

(Reuters) - China's imports shrank unexpectedly in November while export growth slowed, fuelling concerns the world's second-largest economy could be facing a sharper slowdown and adding pressure on policymakers to ramp up stimulus measures.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/uk-china-economy-trade-idUKKBN0JM04O20141208

U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, supported by the better-than-expected U.S. labour market data. The U.S. economy added 321,000 jobs in November, exceeding expectations for a rise of 225,000 jobs, after a gain of 243,000 jobs in October. October's figure was revised up from a rise of 214,000 jobs.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.8% in November, in line with expectations.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.335 to 17,958.79 points on Friday, while the S&P 500 increased 017% to 2,075.37 points.

Europe's stock indices traded lower.

UK's FTSE 100 index was down 0.68% to 6,696.67 points. Germany's DAX 30 declined 0.27% to 1 0,059.67 points, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.49% to 4,397.98.

The cut of Italy's credit rating by S&P weighed on the European markets. S&P downgraded Italy's credit rating to BBB- from BBB late on Friday.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.19% to 24,047.67, China's Shanghai Composite rose 2.86% to 3,021.52 after China's imports dropped in November, while exports slowed. China's imports fell 6.7% in November, after a 4.6% rise in October. Exports climbed 4.7% in November, after 11.6% gain in October.

Investors speculate that China's government will add further stimulus measures to boost the economy.

Japan's Nikkei climbed 0.08% to 17,935.64 after mostly weak economic data. Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) was revised down to an annual fall of 1.9% in the third quarter from the preliminary estimate of a 1.6% decrease.

Japan's adjusted current account surplus rose to 947.0 billion yen in October from 414.4 billion yen in September.

Japan's economy watchers' current conditions index declined to 41.5 in November from 44.0 in October, missing expectations for an increase to 45.9.

Japan's economy watchers' future conditions index dropped to 44.0 in November from 46.6 in October.