*EURO-AREA FEB. SERVICES PMI 51.9; PRELIM. 51.8
*EURO-AREA FEB. COMPOSITE PMI 51.9; PRELIM. 51.9

*ITALY JAN. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 5.1%; EST. 5.6%

*UK FEB. SERVICES PMI 53.9; PRELIM. 53.9
*UK FEB. COMPOSITE PMI 53.7; PRELIM. 53.9

*EURO AREA JAN. PRODUCER PRICES RISE 0.7% M/M; EST. +0.2%
*EURO AREA JAN. PRODUCER PRICES FALL 2.1% Y/Y; EST. -2.7%

*EURO AREA JAN. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 6.1%; EST. 6.2%

*ITALY FINAL 4Q GDP GREW 0.3% Q/Q; EST. +0.3%
*ITALY FINAL 4Q GDP GREW 0.8% Y/Y; EST. +0.8%

*US MBA’S MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS INDEX ROSE 11% LAST WEEK

*US ADP FEB. PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT RISES 63K; EST. +50K

*S&P 500 RISES 0.4% AT THE OPEN, NASDAQ UP 0.7%

*US S&P FEB. SERVICES PMI AT 51.7 VS 52.3 PRIOR
*US S&P FEB. COMPOSITE PMI AT 51.9 VS 52.3 PRIOR

*US FEB. ISM SERVICES PMI AT 56.1 VS 53.8; EST. 53.5
*US FEB. ISM SERVICES PRICES PAID AT 63 VS 66.6
*US FEB. ISM SERVICES EMPLOYMENT AT 51.8 VS 50.3
*US FEB. ISM SERVICES NEW ORDERS AT 58.6 VS 53.1

*US CRUDE OIL INVENTORIES ROSE 3.475M BARRELS; EST. +2.305M

*S&P 500 CLOSES UP 0.8%, NASDAQ UP 1.3%

*FRANCE JAN. INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RISES 0.5% M/M; EST. +0.5%

*SWISS FEB. ADJ. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE RISES TO 3%; EST. 2.9%
*SWISS FEB. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE UNCHANGED AT 3.2%; EST. 3.2%

*EURO AREA JAN. RETAIL SALES FALL 0.1% M/M; EST. +0.3%
*EURO AREA JAN. RETAIL SALES RISE 2% Y/Y; EST. +1.7%

*US PRELIM 4Q LABOR PRODUCTIVITY RISES 2.8% Q/Q; EST. +1.9%
*US PRELIM 4Q LABOR COST RISES 2.8% Q/Q; EST. +2.0%

*US JAN. IMPORT PRICES RISE 0.2% M/M; EST. +0.2%
*US JAN. EXPORT PRICES RISE 0.6% M/M; EST. +0.3%

*US JOBLESS CLAIMS 213K IN FEB. 28 WEEK; EST. 215K
*US CONTINUING CLAIMS 1.868M IN FEB. 21 WEEK; EST. 1.850M

*S&P 500, NASDAQ OPEN DOWN 0.5%