Headline News 15.02.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Saham‐saham energi dan komoditas mengangkat bursa Wall Street untuk kemudian ditutup relatif menguat tipis meskipun volume perdagangan mencapai
titik terendah selama 2011. Rendahnya volume perdagangan tersebut menurut sementara analis merupakan salah satu indikasi bahwa penguatan tajam
bursa Wall Street kemungkinan akan mulai terhambat. Indeks Dow Jones <. DJI> turun 5,07 poin atau 0,04% ke 12,268.19, indeks S&P500 <SPX.> naik 3,17
poin atau 0,24% ke 1,332.32 dan Nasdaq <. IXIC> naik 7,74 poin atau 0,28% ke 2,817.18.
 
• Euro anjlok ke level terendah dalam kurun 3‐pekan terakhir terhadap dollar AS dan diprediksi akan melanjutkan pelemahannya dalam sepekan ke depan
setelah pertemuan menteri keuangan Eropa tidak memberikan kejelasan tentang solusi konkret untuk menangani masalah fiskal Uni‐Eropa. Menterimenteri
keuangan Eropa mengadakan pertemuan di Brussels awal pekan ini untuk membahas penguatan dana bailout senilai 440 miliar euro. Jerman tetap
enggan untuk meningkatkan jumlah penyertaan dana pada fasilitas bailout tanpa komitmen anggota Uni‐Eropa pada koordinasi ekonomi yang lebih erat.
Selain itu, berita tentang bank bermasalah asal Jerman ‐ WestLB turut menambah tekanan pada euro. Berdasarkan sumber terdekat, WestLB tengah
mempersiapkan permohonan bantuan dari pemerintah Jerman.
 
• Pada akhir sesi New York, euro turun 0.4% terhadap dollar AS ke 1.3485<EUR=> setelah sempat menguat hingga level 1.3506 namun kemudian terbebani
kembalinya kekhawatiran investor akan masalah fiskal kawasan Uni‐Eropa. Namun demikian, penurunan euro terbatasi oleh maraknya aksi bank sentral
beberapa negara yang melakukan upaya diversifikasi dari dollar AS. Dollar AS naik sekitar 0,2% terhadap the basket of currencies ke 78,598 <DXY.>, naik di
atas level moving average 100‐hariannya untuk pertama kalinya dalam 4‐minggu terakhir. Dollar AS justru jatuh terhadap yen untuk pertama kalinya dalam
9‐hari terakhir, turun 0,2% ke 83,30 yen <JPY=>. Lelang obligasi Eropa juga menjadi fokus utama bagi investor pada hari awal pekan ini, Italia sukses menjual
obligasi bertenor 30‐tahun senilai 5.2 miliar euro. Meskipun demikian, pelaku pasar masih khawatir akan prospek obligasi negara‐negara kawasan Uni‐Eropa
setelah lelang obligasi sindikasi Portugal akhir pekan lalu tidak terlalu menggembirakan.
 
• Harga emas naik di atas level 1.360 USD per troy ounce pada perdagangan perdana awal pekan ini terdongkrak kekhawatiran investor bahwa kerusuhan
Mesir akan menyebar ke negara Arab lainnya. Sementara itu harga perak naik lebih dari 2% seiring ekspektasi kenaikan permintaan dari industri yang
didorong oleh tanda‐tanda perbaikan ekonomi global. Harga spot emas <XAU=> naik 0,4% ke 1,360.85 USD per troy ounce.
 
• Minyak mentah Brent naik lebih dari 2% pada sesi Senin 14 Februari naik diatas level 104 USD per barel untuk pertama kalinya dalam 28‐bulan terakhir
terdorong kekhawatiran unjuk rasa di kawasan Timur Tengah dan meningkatnya impor minyak mentah oleh China. Sementara itu harga minyak mentah AS
justru melemah, terbebani oleh naiknya cadangan minyak AS terutama pada titik penyerahan di Cushing, Oklahoma. Harga minyak mentah Brent London
untuk pengiriman April <LCOc1> naik 2,14 USD ke 103,08 USD per barel, setelah mencapai level 104,30, harga tertinggi sejak 25 September 2008. Minyak
mentah AS untuk bulan Maret <CLc1> turun 77 sen ke 84,81 USD per barel.

Wall Street edges up, slack volume points to top

NEW YORK | Mon Feb 14, 2011 8:37pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Energy and commodity shares lifted Wall Street to modest gains on Monday, but the lowest volume so far this year indicated the equity rally may be near a top.

The S&P 500 edged up, trading near its highest since June 2008, nominally a good sign, but the index was stuck in the 1,325-1,333 area without enough buyers to get through this technical hurdle.

A mere 6.6 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, the lowest volume so far this year and far below the 8 billion daily average for 2011.
Shawn Hackett, president at Hackett Advisors in Boynton Beach, Florida, said rising index levels on falling volume sets the stage for a pullback.
"Everything I see suggests the driver now is a last bit of greed and momentum before the market runs out of buyers," he said.

Three-month copper hit a record high after Chinese import figures suggested strong demand for basic materials. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX.N) jumped 4.9 percent to $56.14 and the PHLX Gold/Silver index .XAU rose 2.2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dipped 5.07 points, or 0.04 percent, to 12,268.19. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX rose 3.17 points, or 0.24 percent, to 1,332.32. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gained 7.74 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,817.18.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) was one of the worst performers on the Dow after JPMorgan downgraded the stock. Shares fell 1.6 percent to $54.80.
The S&P 500 has gained nearly 27 percent since the start of September. It now stands near the 50 percent extension of last year's slide from April to July and also near 100 percent advance from the low hit in March 2009.

The coincidence of the levels makes the technical resistance stronger.
 Still, some traders see residual strength in the market and are willing to buy on any declines in prices.
"We wouldn't be surprised to see a pullback, but longer term we think the market has room to grow," said Mitch Rubin, chief investment officer at RiverPark Advisors in New York.
Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a ratio of about 5 to 4, while on the Nasdaq, about seven stocks rose for every six that fell.

U.S. President Barack Obama proposed a federal budget that he said would cut the U.S. deficit by $1.1 trillion over the next 10 years. Congress must approve the plan, and Republicans, who are in the majority in the House, said it did not curb spending enough.

Obama's budget would provide $8 billion for investment in clean energy, but big drugmakers might take a hit from generic competition under two proposals in the plan.

Among alternative energy companies, Trina Solar (TSL.N) gained 5.2 percent to $28.79 while GT Solar International (SOLR.O) climbed 2.7 percent to $11.50. Drugmaker Merck & Co (MRK.N), a Dow component, slid 0.8 percent to $32.82.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc (GMCR.O) shares jumped 6.7 percent to $46.35 after Reuters reported the company has been in partnership negotiations with Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O).
Recent merger and acquisition activity continued.

EchoStar Corp (SATS.O) agreed to buy Hughes Communications Inc (HUGH.O) for about $1.33 billion. Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice agreed to take Emergency Medical Services Corp (EMS.N) private for about $3 billion.
Shares of Hughes fell 3.7 percent to $59.47 while EchoStar rose 3.2 percent to $30.84. Emergency Medical fell almost 11 percent to $62.92.