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

Nikkei 225 17,392.79 +195.74 +1.14%

Hang Seng 24,019.94 +81.76 +0.34%

Shanghai Composite 2,486.67 -7.81 -0.31%

FTSE 100 6,635.45 +24.41 +0.37%

CAC 40 4,187.95 +8.07 +0.19%

Xetra DAX 9,248.51 +37.55 +0.41%

S&P 500 2,039.33 +1.08 +0.05%

NASDAQ Composite 4,680.14 +5.01 +0.11%

Dow Jones 17,652.79 +40.59 +0.23%

Stock indices closed higher on better-that-estimated corporate earnings.

Germany's final consumer price index declined 0.3% in October.

On a yearly basis, German final consumer price index rose 0.7% in October, lower than the previous reading of 0.8% gain.

France's consumer price inflation was flat in October, beating expectations for a 0.1% decline, after a 0.4% drop in September.

On a yearly basis, French consumer price index increased 0.5% in October, after a 0.3% rise in September.

Ericsson AB shares increased 3.2% after announcing a cost-cutting plan.

KBC Groep NV shares rose 6.4% after reporting the better-than-estimated third-quarter net profit.

Indexes on the close:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 6,635.45 +24.41 +0.37%

DAX 9,248.51 +37.55 +0.41%

CAC 40 4,187.95 +8.07 +0.19%

U.S. stock-index futures fluctuated as investors assessed corporate deals and earnings from retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Global markets:

Nikkei 17,392.79 +195.74 +1.14%

Hang Seng 24,019.94 +81.76 +0.34%

Shanghai Composite 2,486.67 -7.81 -0.31%

FTSE 6,600.93 -10.11 -0.15%

CAC 4,162.01 -17.87 -0.43%

DAX 9,189.06 -21.90 -0.24%

Crude oil $76.19 (-1.19%)

Gold $1163.50 (+0.35%)

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

European stock indices are trading higher today after yesterday's trading session losses supported by strong earnings reports, recovering bank stocks and German consumer price inflation data at -0.3% in line with expectations.

UK's FTSE 100 index is up 0.27% trading at 6,628.71 points. Germany's DAX 30 gained 0.73% currently trading at 9,277.77 points and France's CAC 40 is trading at 4,195.76 points, a gain of 0.38%.

ECB expects euro zone inflation of 1% in 2015 and 1.4% in 2016. Previous forecast estimated inflation to be 1.2% in 2015 and 1.5% in 2016. The ECB also lowered its economic growth forecast for 2015 from 1.5% to 1.2% naming falling oil prices and political tensions the main reasons.

BLOOMBERG

Brent Drop From Four-Year Low as OPEC Seen Resisting Cuts

Brent Crude extended losses from a four-year low, trading near $80 a barrel amid signs that OPEC remains unwilling to reduce output to ease concern of a global supply glut. West Texas Intermediate was steady in New York.

Futures slid as much as 0.7 percent in London, declining from the lowest close since September 2010. Saudi Arabia is committed to a stable market and speculation of a price war within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries "has no basis in reality," Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday in Acapulco, Mexico.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-13/oil-extends-drop-to-3-year-low-as-opec-unlikely-to-cut.html

INVESTING.COM

AUD/USD almost unchanged after Australian inflation data

The Australian dollar was almost unchanged against its U.S. counterpart on Thursday, after data showed that inflation expectations in Australia rose last month, while demand for the greenback remained broadly supported.

Source: http://www.investing.com/news/forex-news/forex---aud-usd-almost-unchanged-after-australian-inflation-data-316573

REUTERS

Global banks entering higher-stake phase of forex probes

The $4.3 billion in civil settlements struck Wednesday between six global banks and U.S. and U.K. authorities over foreign exchange market manipulation sets the stage for negotiations over related ongoing probes that could bear much more severe consequences.Citigroup, UBS, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America agreed to make the payment to settle civil claims they failed to stop traders from trying to rig the foreign exchange market.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/13/us-banks-forex-settlement-criminal-idUSKCN0IX01H20141113

European stock indices rebound after yesterday's trading session losses supported by strong earnings reports and German consumer price inflation data at -0.3% in line with expectations. Banking stocks recovered from yesterday's losses after regulators ordered five banks to pay a record settlement. FTSE 100 index is currently trading +0.25% at 6,627.62 points, Germany's DAX 30 gained +0.78% trading at 9,283.16 points and France's CAC 40 won +0.70% currently quoted at 4,209.21 points. Investors are awaiting U.S. Initial Jobless Claims later in the day at 13:30 GMT.

The DOW Jones and S&P 500 were slightly down in yesterday's trading session not continuing marking new all-time highs as in previous 5 sessions. The DOW Jones closed with a very small loss of -0.02% at 17,612.20, the S&P500 was trading lower -0.07% closing at 2,038.25 points.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.33% closing at 24,017.18, China's Shanghai Composite lost -0.31% closing at 2,486.67. Chinese data showed a slowdown with Industrial Production growing 7.7%, below forecast at 8.0% and Fixed Asset Investment growth at 15.9% also below its forecast of 16.0%. Retail sales declined to a growth of 11.5%, the lowest rate since 2006.

Japan's Nikkei closed with a gain of 1.14% at 17,392.79 closing near its seve-year high fuelled by expectations that Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will postpone the scheduled sales tax hike and rumours about snap elections being held in December.