-Italy asking IMF to soften enhanced surveillance.

FTSE-100: 1.81%
Dax-30: 1.67%
Cac-40: 1.52%
Ibex 35: 1.01%
Euro Stoxx 50: 1.49%

The main European equity benchmarks have finished sharply higher, pushed up by the release of a better than expected employment report Stateside which is even making some economists taper their forecasts for additional asset repurchases from the Federal Reserve.
The world's largest economy, that of the United States, created 243,000 new jobs last month, well above the 150,000 that were expected. In December, the number of new jobs was 200,000. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3% from December's 8.5%, catching the market by surprise.
From a sector stand-point the best performers have been: automobiles (2.52%), travel (2.66%) and banks (2.51%).

Swiss software maker Temenos rocketed higher after investors learned that Misys has proposed an all-share merger to its rival.

Volvo, the world's second-largest truckmaker, posted an 18% sales increase for the fourth quarter.

MACROECONOMY

The Eurozone service sector purchasing managers' index for the month of January has come in at 50.4 (Consensus: 50.5).

Eurozone retail sales fell by 0.4% on the month in December (Consensus: 0.3%).

OTHER MARKETS

Front month Brent futures are rising by 0.867% to the $113.05/barrel mark on the ICE.

The euro/dollar is now down by 0.25% to 1.3110 dollars.

AB

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