Currencies

• EUR/USD The euro maintained a two-day gain on prospects confidence in Italy's ability to curb its debt will be revived after Mario Monti, a former European Union competition commissioner, takes over as prime minister.
  • The euro was unchanged at $1.3750 as of 6:23 a.m. in London from its level in New York after last week it touched $1.3859.

• NZD/USD The New Zealand dollar climbed for a second day after a government report showed retail sales increased by the most since 2006, adding to signs the domestic economy remains resilient.
  • The New Zealand dollar strengthened 0.2 percent to 78.69 U.S. cents at 4:36 p.m. in Sydney and was trading at 78.674 U.D. cents around 7 a.m. London time.

• GBP/USD Sterling strengthened last Friday against the dollar as data showed U.K. factory output prices were unchanged in October as costs for chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electrical equipment dropped.
  • The British currency climbed 0.4 percent to $1.5990 on Friday and was trading at $1.60721 around 7 a.m. London time.

Commodities

• Gold futures climbed as investors bet leadership changes in the Italian and Greek governments would ease the risk of further financial deterioration in the euro zone.
  • The front-month contract, for November delivery, rose $28.60, or 1.6%, to settle at $1787.50 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

• Oil traded near the highest level in more than three months as Japan reported its first economic growth in a year and Italy started building a new government that may help contain the European debt crisis.
  • Crude for December delivery was at $99 a barrel, up 1 cent, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 1:14 p.m. Singapore time.

Equities

• US Stocks rose last week as improving economic data and leadership changes in Greece and Italy bolstered investor optimism.
  • Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) advanced more than 5.4 percent.
  • The S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent to 1,263.85.
  • The Dow advanced 170.44 points, or 1.4 percent, to 12,153.68.


• European Stocks climbed last week as Italy's Senate approved austerity measures, easing concern the country will need a bailout, and U.S. consumer confidence rose in November more than economists had predicted.
  • The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index rose 0.3 percent.
  • France's CAC 40 Index (CAC) gained 2.8 percent and Germany's DAX Index jumped 1.5 percent.

• Asian stocks rose amid optimism new governments in Greece and Italy will help contain Europe's debt crisis and after top economists said China will have a "soft landing."
  • The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 1.3 percent to 118.89 as of 3:06 p.m. in Tokyo.
  • Japan's Nikkei 225 (NKY) Stock Average added 1.1 percent.
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 2.2 percent and Shanghai's Composite Index increased 1.9 percent.

Sources: Bloomberg, FT