Finance News Update, what you need to know

WORLD FINANCE UPDATE:

The Australian dollar is firmer and hovers just under 91 US cents, following a series of positive local economic data.

At 0630 AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 90.99 US cents, up from 90.12 cents on Thursday.

And the Australian share market looks set to open higher following a mainly positive lead from Wall Street as investors weighed improved unemployment claims data ahead of a key monthly jobs report.

At 0645 AEDT on Friday, the March share price index futures contract was up 15 points at 5,456.

ELSEWHERE:

WASHINGTON - First-time claims for US unemployment benefits fell last week to a three-month low, but remained little changed from a year ago, according to official data released on Thursday.

WASHINGTON - New orders for US manufactured goods has fallen for the second month in a row as civilian aircraft and computer orders slide, official data show.

FRANKFURT - The European Central Bank has raised its growth forecast slightly for the euro area this year, but trimmed its forecast for inflation.

FRANKFURT - The European Central Bank kept its gunpowder dry again, holding its key interest rates unchanged for the fourth month in a row.

LONDON - The Bank of England has voted to keep interest rates at 0.50 per cent, five years after slashing borrowing costs to the current record low and launching its stimulus policy.

FRANKFURT - German industrial orders, a key measure of demand for German-made goods both at home and abroad, showed a higher rise than expected in January after contracting the previous month.

PARIS - New data shows that French unemployment fell at the end of last year, suggesting a key campaign promise by President Francois Hollande has indeed been kept.

ZURICH - Large banks are moving closer to meeting their capital requirements under Basel III, the banking reforms imposed to avoid a repeat of the 2008 global financial crisis.

WASHINGTON - Newsweek says it has found the enigmatic creator of the online currency bitcoin, a reclusive Japanese American physicist and model train fan whose name is actually Satoshi Nakamoto.