STOCKS NEWS US-MasterCard to prepay obligations under settlement

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1040 ET 02July2009-MasterCard to prepay obligations under settlement
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MasterCard Inc (MA.N) on Thursday agreed to prepay its obligations under a
legal settlement with U.S. merchants. It will received a 16 percent discount.

The prepayment will be made on Sept. 30.

MasterCard will pay $335 million to settle obligations through 2012
totaling $400 million, the credit card company said on Thursday.

For details, see [ID:nN02380861]

Shares of MasterCard rose 0.5 percent to $166.58.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1037 ET 02July2009-Markets sink after jobs data
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Major U.S. indexes dropped on Thursday, falling after payrolls data showed
more Americans than expected lost their jobs in June, dimming hopes of a quick
economic recovery.

Sentiment was also pressured as the price of crude oil fell.

For details, see [ID:nN0222961]

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 2 percent to 8,330.01 while
the S&P 500 .SPX lost 2.2 percent to 903.51 and the Nasdaq .IXIC was off
2.4 percent to 1,802.18.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1034 ET 02July2009-Coeur D'Alene lowers debt level by 37 pct in 2009
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Silver miner Coeur D'Alene Mines (CDE.N) (CDM.TO) on Thursday said it
lowered its convertible debt by 37 percent, or $150 million, in the first half
of 2009. The debt was lowered through a series of privately negotiated deals.

For details, see [ID:nN022358]

Shares fell 4.5 percent to $12.36 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1026 ET 02July2009-Mortgage rates fall in latest week: Freddie Mac
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Interest rates on U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped 0.10
percentage point in the latest week, a move that bodes well for the hard-hit
U.S. housing market, according to a survey released on Thursday by home funding
company Freddie Mac (FRE.N) (FRE.P).

Interest rates on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.32 percent,
with an average 0.7 point, for the week ending July 2. That was down from the
previous week's 5.42 percent, but significantly higher than the record low of
4.78 percent set the week ending April 2. Freddie Mac started the Primary
Mortgage Market Survey in 1971.

"Lower mortgage rates are helping to support the housing market," Frank
Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, said in a statement.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net; Editing by
Kenneth Barry
1021 ET 02July2009 Volatility index jumps, hits session highs
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The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, the implied volatility measure of the S&P
500 index .SPX, jumped 8.73 percent to 28.51 as disappointing jobs data and
thin volume send U.S. stocks sharply lower and to session lows. The VIX has
bounced off an intraday low set on Wednesday when it dipped to 24.80 for the
first time since Sept. 12, 2008. "We have seen a bit of a rise in the VIX this
morning based on reaction to a report where the number of jobs lost exceeded
expectations by 94,000 after prior months revisions," said Scott Fullman,
director of derivative investment strategy at WJB Capital Group. "It appears
that traders are willing to pay up for protection ahead of the end of a short
week," he said. But he said volume has been thin over the past several weeks
and today's trading is expected to reflect lower interest given that the
equities and options markets will be closed on Friday in observance of the U.S.
Independence holiday.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net