Stock Market Moves on Monday, December 18, 2006

Spot Gold: $ 615.70 and falling
Spot Silver: $12.86/oz
Spot Platinum: $1,099/oz
Crude Oil Futures: $633.06
Gasoline Futures: $ 1.69
Natural Gas Futures: $7.18
Tokyo market ended up.

FOREX-Yen recovers ahead of BOJ, dollar looks to data
Enbridge gets support for $1.3-bln pipeline project

On Monday, investors will closely watch third-quarter U.S. current account deficit data at 1330 GMT, although some may tread cautiously, given November PPI and housing starts due on Tuesday.

Oracle, the world's biggest maker of database software, is expected to report second-quarter earnings of 22 cents per share after the market close, up from 19 cents a year earlier.


Topping Monday's merger stories, U.S. pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX.O: Quote, Profile , Research) offered to buy rival Caremark RX (CMX.N: Quote, Profile , Research) for about $26 billion, threatening to break up a deal struck last month with CVS Corp. (CVS.N: Quote, Profile , Research).

Working to fend off an $8.4 billion merger bid from US Airways, Delta is expected as soon as Monday to file its sweeping bankruptcy reorganisation plan, the Wall Street Journal said on its Web site.

The WSJ site also reported that private equity firms have been moving into prime position to buy orthopaedics maker Biomet Inc. (BMET.O: Quote, Profile , Research), with an auction for the company now in its final days.
Also on Monday, Bayer AG (BAYG.DE: Quote, Profile , Research) agreed to sell its cellulose products unit, Wolff Walsrode, to Dow Chemical Co. (DOW.N: Quote, Profile , Research) for an undisclosed amount.