MARKETS

Planned strategic reserve of natural gas and fuel oil will cover local needs in emergency situations.

Capital Economics expects oil prices to gradually climb back to some $70 per barrel over the medium term.

FOMC's thinking about recent inflation and labour data mix will be keenly watched.

Gold prices hinge on dollar and negotiations over Greece financial situation.

Break below $1200 can lead to fresh multi-year lows.

GBP/USD is now aiming 1.5486, a break of which opens up 1.5621 ahead of 1.5827.

The pair had ignored German deflation and rallied on the back of weak US retail sales data.

Deeper industry spending cuts and a weak US dollar are stimulating buying.

India reclaimed the top spot from China in 2014.

Sweden also announced quantitative easing worth SEK 10bn and promised more if required.

Large investment funds cash in more than €800m after staging Europe's largest IPO this year

BoE raised two-year inflation view to 1.96% from 1.8% in the November report and to 2.15% in three years from 1.95%.

USD/INR may fall within upward channel to 62.15 before pushing back up to new highs near 63.0

Commerzbank reports a better-than-expected Q4 net profit as a decrease in loan loss provisions offset weaker revenue.

The French bank has taken a €525m writedown on the value of Rosbank, its Russian unit.

Fourth quarter GDP data surprised on the higher side, but failed to help the ringgit recover.

Government data shows Japanese machine orders shot up 11.4% in December 2014, from a year ago, beating estimates.

The unemployment rate is at its highest since 2002.

Analysts predict the annual growth rate to continue to slow and fall below 5% in Q4.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's fiscal deficit target is 4.5% of GDP compared to Mahinda Rajapaksa's 4.6%.

In his address to the World Trade Forum in Seoul, he emphasised the region's need for stronger and coherent policies.

Wednesday's better-than-expected housing market data did not impact the Aussie currency as the market was waiting for key figures the next day.

Singapore dollar is hovering near a 4-1/2-year low vs US currency.

Gold, when treated as a currency, was the second-best performer in the world last year after the US dollar.

Recent unexpected move by Swiss National Bank to abandon a cap on the franc could hit UBS's future profits.

Indian shares rallied 1.25% and rupee strengthened 0.3% by mid-day.

Peoples' Bank of China expected to cut rate in the wake of continuing sluggish growth.

Copper futures have fallen nearly 50% over the past three years.

Rupee under pressure from rising dollar and dismal forecast for Modi's ruling party in Delhi election..