New York Natural Gas Is Little Changed as Mild Weather Diminishes Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Natural gas in New York fell for a
sixth day on rising stocks of the power-plant fuel and slack
demand because of mild weather and a U.S. holiday.

``While warmer temperatures are moving toward the East Coast
into the weekend, most of the U.S. is seeing some spring-like
conditions, keeping cooling demand loads light,'' said Michael
Fitzpatrick, vice president for energy risk management at Man
Financial Inc. in New York.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

Japan Will Urge APEC to Take Specific Measures to Cut Energy Consumption

(Bloomberg) -- Japan, a signatory to the Kyoto
Protocol on climate change, wants the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation members to adopt specific measures to cut energy
consumption.

Japan's delegation to the APEC energy ministers' meeting in
Darwin, Australia, will call on the meeting to agree plans to
promote energy savings across industries, Jun Arima, director of
the trade ministry's international affairs division, said in an
interview with Bloomberg News late yesterday.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

ABB Grain, BHP Billiton, Coles, James Hardie: Australian Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares may rise or fall in Australia. This preview includes
news announced after markets closed on Friday. Prices are from
Friday's close unless otherwise stated. Stock symbols are in
brackets after the company names.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index futures contract due in June added 0.5
percent to 6300 at 6:59 a.m. in Sydney. The Bank of New York
Australia ADR Index rose 1.3 percent in New York.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Business software maker Lawson may rise: Barron's

(Reuters) - It also noted that the company has also recently boosted its sales force and shifted some of its work offshore.




Cowen analyst Peter Goldmacher has a price target of $14 for the shares, Barron's said. They closed on Friday at $8.71.


Read more at Reuters.com Hot Stocks News

Israel Quarterly Jobless Rate Declines to 7.7 Percent; Lowest Since 1977

(Bloomberg) -- Israel's unemployment rate fell to a
seasonally adjusted 7.7 percent in the first quarter, from 7.8
percent in the fourth quarter, the Central Bureau of Statistics
said in an e-mailed report today.

The first-quarter jobless rate is the lowest since the
second quarter of 1997, the Jerusalem-based bureau's figures
show. The unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of 10.9
percent at the beginning of 2004.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

China says taxes alone won't cut trade surplus

(Reuters) - "You cannot expect to resolve the trade balance by simply
curbing export patterns," Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng
told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference when asked about
the changes.




"These products make up a relatively small portion of
exports. But the point is that this reflects changes in trade
and economic growth, which will have advantages in the short
term and even greater significance in the long term."


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Emirati Shares Gain, Paced by Emaar Properties, National Bank: Gulf Stocks

(Bloomberg) -- Stocks in the United Arab Emirates
rose, paced by Emaar Properties PJSC and National Bank of Abu
Dhabi PJSC.

The Dubai Financial Market General Index advanced 2.3
percent to 4437.40 at 11:23 a.m. local time. The Abu Dhabi
Securities Market Index rose 2.9 percent to 3582.60.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News