GLOBAL MARKETS ROUNDUP * Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange is 0.08percent up while the MSCI-Asia Pacific index excluding Japan is 0.35 percent higher. * Asian shares steadied on Friday, tracking global equitiesafter upbeat U.S. labour market data, with investors turningtheir attention toward corporate earnings to assess the outlookfor growth after a recent run of soft global data underminedsentiment. * U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, lifted by stronger-than-expectedearnings and a large drop in weekly jobless claims.
The S&P 500, up for five straight sessions, traded within apoint of its record closing high before shedding about half ofthe day's gains. The high was near the 1,593 level that isexpected to be technical resistance.
FACTORS TO WATCH
* Earnings of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, HeroMotoCorp Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd later in theday.
* The India Meteorological Department releases maidenforecast for the four-month long monsoon season from June.
* RBI to release forex, bank loan data.
INDIAN STOCKS TO WATCH For additional press items double click
India's Jindal Steel Jan-March net down 34.88 pct (Reuters)
India's Idea Cellular profit rises 30 pct; beats estimates(Reuters)
Coal India sees first import of at least 5.8 mln T in 2013/14(Reuters)
Indian government pitches for rating upgrade with S&P (Reuters)
Indian govt may shift cash hoard to commercial banks, helplending (Reuters)
Shell says challenges India tax demand order in court (Reuters)
India's L&T Finance Holdings Jan-March net up 21.28 pct(Reuters)
Bata India Jan-March net up 7 pct (Reuters)
India's Petronet signs initial purchase deal with United LNG(Reuters)
Etihad may want bigger role in Jet Airways management but Sebiwould be watching (Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/keq67t)
IT cos Infosys, Mahindra Satyam, Wipro banking on start-ups inquest for ideas and tech (Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/meq67t)
Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea rigged 3G auctions: BSNL toSupreme Court (Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/neq67t)
Tata Motors hits out at move to allow quadricycles; Rajiv Bajajrubbishes contention (Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/qeq67t)
HP eyes $1bn sale of MphasiS stake (Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/veq67t)
More West Asian hubs join Indian sky war (Business Standard)(http://link.reuters.com/weq67t)
Three ministries oppose Rangarajan committee's gas pricingformula (Business Standard)(http://link.reuters.com/xeq67t)
AirAsia India pitches plan of action to ministry (Mint) (http://link.reuters.com/zeq67t)
Jindal Petroleum finds oil in Georgia, to spend $100 mln - (PTIin Economic Times)(http://link.reuters.com/req67t)
Proposed Land Acquisition Bill concern for industry, says Ficci(PTI via Financial Express)(http://link.reuters.com/cuq67t) (Complied by Dipika Lalwani)