-Coeure (ECB): Can start buying bonds as soon as Spain signs MoU
-Asmussen (ECB): Spain has not indicated it will request aid
-Nowotny (ECB): Common bank supervision impossible before mid-2013
-Spanish 10 year bond yields down 14bp to 5.63%

FTSE-100: -0.62%
Dax-30: -0.68%
Cac-40: -0.72%
FTSE Mibtel 30: -0.78%
Ibex 35: -1.06%
Stoxx 600: -0.52%

The main European equity benchmarks registered moderate falls. That despite the release of better than forecast economic indicators Stateside this afternoon.

While investors waited on the above the most relevant piece of news or "non-news" were the remarks out of Spain's Finance Minister, Luis de Guindos, to the effect that his country is still analysing the option of asking for a rescue, or not. Despite that there is some market chatter today regarding speculation and rumours surrounding a possible Spanish rescue petition.

Acting as a backdrop, overnight IMF Executive Director Christine Lagarde told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that policy makers need to do more to provide greater certainty, especially in the Eurozone and in United States.

Chinese bank lending data for the month of September also came out well below forecasts overnight.

On a more positive note, some Group of Seven nations raised the possibility of extra fiscal measures if the global recovery weakens, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said after a G-7 meeting in Tokyo yesterday, Bloomberg reports.

Iberdrola to maintain dividend policy

Spanish power giant Iberdrola will target between €4bn and €6bn of asset disposals and aim to keep its dividend when it presents 2012-2014 guidance on Oct. 24th, El Economista reported.

Japan's JFE holdings' core steel unit, JFE Steel, is weighing plans to bid for ThyssenKrupp AG's North American steel operations, according to Nikkei, Reuters said. Shares of franco-belgian chipmaker ST Micro are moving 6% higher on a report in Bloomberg to the effect that the company is evaluating a break-up.

From a sector standpoint the worst performance within the DJ Stoxx 600 was seen in the following sectors: Telecommunications (-1.27%), Oil&Gas (-1.17%) and Chemicals (-1.14%).

Eurozone industrial production well ahead of expectations
Eurozone industrial production rose by 0.6% month-on-month in August (Consensus: -0.4%). In year-on-year terms output rose by 2.9% versus the -4.1% expected.

The increased output was led by gains in durable consumer goods (3.9% month-on-month) and capital goods (0.7%).

Ireland's trade surplus rose to €4.922bn in August from €3.923bn for the month before.

Small drop in crude futures

The euro/dollar is now rising by 0.24% to the 1.2960 dollar level.

Front month Brent crude futures are off by 0.986 dollars to the 114.58 dollar mark on the ICE.



AB

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