Asian market update: stocks remain weak in the

-(NZ) NEW ZEALAND Q4 current account balance (NZ$):-2.76B V 2.8BE (seventh quarter in a row the deficit); CURRENT ACCOUNT TO GDP RATIO YTD: 4.0% V-4.0%E
-Australien (AU) FEB DEWR INTERNET qualified jobs M/M: 0.2% V 0.1% before (8. consequence reduction)
-(NZ) NEW ZEALAND FEB CREDIT CARD EXPENDITURE M/M: 0.5% V 0.8% BEFORE; Y/Y: 4.0% V 3.1% BEFORE
-(AU) AUSTRALIA JAN WESTPAC LEADING INDEX M/M: 0.6% V 0.7% BEFORE
-(JP) Japan Jan all industry activity index y/y: 1.0% V-0.7%e
-(TH) THAILAND JAN CURRENT ACCOUNT: $757 M V $1 BE BEFORE
NEW ZEALAND FEB-(NZ) hiking SALDO:-440 v-620 before
-(KR) South Korea Customs Service March 1-20 trade balance$ 2 full-year revenue; Exports 2.7% y/y
B. market snapshot (as 05: 00GMT).
-Nikkei225 0.5%
-S & P/ASX 0.5%
-Kospi 0.7%
-Taiwan TAIEX 0.1%
-Singapur Straits Times 0.3%
-Shanghai composite 0.5%
-Hang Seng - 0.4%
S & P futures + 0.3% to 1,403
-Spot Gold + 0.4% to $1.653 / oz
-Can crude + 0.4% to $106.54
B. Overview/top headlines.
Markets still weaker than the region ensure that the engine of growth, significantly slow down China and influence on its neighbors and the world. Miners continue to comments lead the decline of all indexes, which yesterday saying that iron ore and coal demand from China slows down. Today, Rio Tinto and OneSteel said that they expect Chinese demand remain strong. EUR was increased about $1.3280, after the Greek the offer for his rescue Parliament, as expected. Oil gained back some of its losses in the NY session. It was a surprise supplies draw in crude oil last week, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). Yields rose in Australia, and South Korea. US 10 yr yields rejected and then remains populated. Fed Kocherlakota said that policy objective accommodative has kept inflation near 2%, and this simple policy even more can not employment. A comment of note was that strong jobs do not have associated output reports. Also expected to launch the fed, remove to impulses and zero rates moving in 2012 or 2013. of Australia's second largest retailer David Jones (DJS.)(AU) fell 11%, after it warned that its results fiscal year net profit by 40% y/y. iShares fall, that slower consumer spending and higher costs of the major factors were can see. A turn for the positive, copper took raw materials gained $3.87 after posting its largest loss in 2 weeks in yesterday's meeting. Silver gained nearly 1% to $32.29, maize and wheat also followed. The major and emerging markets currencies, USD was generally weaker.
** Speaker/geopolitical/in the press.
-(US) Fed Chairman Bernanke continue to risk "Infection" by European financial crisis for U.S. financial system as part of tomorrow's address - again press us
-Sprecher (CN) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu: China still a role in supporting European debt crisis by G20 and IMF - China daily
-(JP) Japan fin min Azumi: still expected that the Cabinet into account; submit VAT this month Difficult hike numerical targets for sales tax in tax bill
-(CN) China Premier Wen: the Govt is to promote innovation and regulations, to make free the Yuan float more, and the currency is press freely convertible at the right time - Chinese
-(NZ) new Zealand fin min English: fiscal objectives calls for expenditures; High NZD makes it hard to improve the balance of trade
-Car dealers (CN) luxury, BMW, Audi and Daimler have begun for discounts in China amid weak demand - SCMP
B. shares.
-Hankook Tire, 000240.KR: Exec: tires to increase prices by 5% in 2012 - press us financial planning
-384.HK: Consortium ENN energy and Sinopec have advanced HK$ 16 information offer for China Gas
-RIO: Exec: iron ore miners need extra 100 M produce tonnes per year for the next 7 years according to the Chinese demand; Expect a soft landing in China - SMH
-DJS.AU: Reports H1 net a$ 85 M V an$ 84Me; Rev A$ 1. 01 b, 6.7% y/y
** US stocks.
-SAI: Q4 reports $0.31 V $0 34e, R$ 2.49 b V $2. 7be; Share buy-back program initiated quarterly dividend and 40 M (about 12% of the outstanding shares); $0.12 + 0.6% after hours
-ORCL: Q3 reports $0.62 (adj) V $0 56e, R$ 9.04 b V $9. 0be; + 1.5% after hours >-JBL: reports Q2 $0.58 V $0 58e, R$ 4.24 b V $4. 1be; -2.4% after hours
-CTAS: Q3 reports $0.58 V $0. 52e, R$ 1.01 b V $1. 0be; + 1.9% after hours
-ERJ: Reports Q4-$ 0.51 (including fees) V +$ 0.68 y/y, Rev $2.03 b V $1.97 b y/y; 0.3% after hours
B. FX/fixed income / commodities.
-(US) API crude oil supplies crude oil:-1.37M V + 2.5ME (first pull in 5 weeks); GASOLINE: - 1.39M V - 2.5ME; DISTILLATE: + 600 K V-1ME; OCCUPANCY: 82.3% V 82.7% W/W
-(JP)-Japan-Eisen and Steel Federation: Feb crude steel production - 0.3% m/m; - 3.7% y/y, 8.6 M tonnes
-MoF (CN) China sells 10-yr bonds at 3.5373% V 3.4509% on Jan 13th
-(AU) Australia govt sees 2016 / 2017 iron ore 767 M tonnes exported exported 218 M tonnes of coking coal
-International Copper Study Group (ICSG): global copper supply was greater than the demand press during Dec 2011-