Stocks: Friday’s review

Asian stocks fell, with Japan’s Topix Index snapping the longest weekly winning streak in 40 years, as the yen rose and profit reports from Trend Micro Inc. and Rio Tinto Group disappointed investors.

Nikkei 225 11,173.83 -133.45 -1.18%

Hang Seng 23,444.56 +31.31 +0.13%

S&P/ASX 200 5,033.92 -2.96 -0.06%

Shanghai Composite Closed

Rio Tinto declined 2.7 percent in Sydney after the miner reported its biggest loss in at least 15 years.

Trend Micro tumbled 6.1 percent after the Japanese anti-virus software maker’s net income fell 23 percent.

Auckland International Airport Ltd. slumped the most in four years after a New Zealand pension fund reduced its stake in the nation’s busiest terminal.

European stocks were little changed as companies from PPR SA to Aker Solutions ASA reported earnings and finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 nations met in Moscow.

PPR surged to an 11-year high after the French owner of Gucci reported profit that topped estimates.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slipped 0.2 percent to 287.34 at the close of trade in London.

A report showed American consumer confidence increased more than estimated this month. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary February index of sentiment rose to 76.3 from 73.8 the prior month. The gauge was projected to rise to 74.8, according to the median forecast.

National benchmark indexes rose in eight of the 18 western- European markets today.

FTSE 100 6,328.26 +0.90 +0.01% CAC 40 3,660.37 -9.23 -0.25% DAX 7,593.51 -37.68 -0.49%

PPR jumped 7.6 percent to 172 euros, the highest price since July 2001. The company’s so-called recurring operating income climbed 19 percent to 1.79 billion euros. The average estimate analysts called for 1.75 billion euros. The company said it expects its performance to improve further in 2013.

Eni SpA rose 2.1 percent to 17.69 euros. Italy’s biggest oil company proposed a 2012 dividend of 1.08 euros a share, up from 1.04 euros the previous year, even as Eni reported a 3.6 percent decline in fourth-quarter adjusted net income to 1.52 billion euros ($2 billion).

Anglo American Plc gained 1.3 percent to 2,039 pence. Full- year earnings per share amounted to $2.26, topping the average analyst projection for $1.92,

Gerresheimer AG advanced 3.9 percent to 43.17 euros, the highest price since it sold shares to the public in June 2007, after CA Cheuvreux and Kepler Capital Markets raised their recommendations for the stock.

Aker Solutions fell 11 percent to 107 kroner. The oil- services provider controlled by billionaire Kjell Inge Roekke reported fourth-quarter net income of 504 million kroner ($91 million), missing the average analyst projection that called for 678.6 million kroner.

Indexes started the session with a small plus, but failed to hold in positive territory, finished trading mixed. For the week the index DOW poteryad on 0,15%, Nasdaq fell by 0,07%, S & P500 gained 0.02%.

Data on the index of consumer sentiment from the Reuters / Michigan, which went much better than expected (76.3 points vs. 74.6 points) could not keep the indices of decline. The focus of market participants is a meeting of the "big twenty", which opened today in Moscow. Media reported that a draft communique to be issued later on, says that the country's "Big Twenty" would like to avoid high volatility of currency and disorderly movements in exchange rates.

Among corporate news worth noting the weakness of the shares in the world's largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT). The reason for the reason of decrease WMT shares are reports of problems in its largest foreign subsidiary - British supermarket chain ASDA. These are found on the shelves of ASDA products, composed had come in, but in fact it contained horse meat. Associated with this scandal is growing in Europe.

DOW index components show a mixed trend. More than the others fell in the share price Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT, -2.30%). Leader with shares in The Coca-Cola Company (KO, +1.44%).

Sector of the S & P show a mixed trend. Leading conglomerates sector (+0.3%). Below is the rest of the basic materials sector (-0.9%).

At the close:

Dow +8.37 13,981.76 +0.06%

Nasdaq -6.63 3,192.03 -0.21%

S & P -1.59 1,519.79 -0.10%