significantly. consumer confidence rose from a 21-month low in december, and we ve also got consumer, some investor confidence figures coming out from germany which is positive as well. andrew a cross the board pretty good start here. it does look like a pretty good start, certainly giving some hope for the u.s. markets as well that they may open higher. that s the picture here in asia. not quite so bright here, the steelmaker and the tech stocks pulling the markets back, they ended mostly flat. tokyo companies that supply parts for apple were down after that announcement by ceo steve jobs and disappointing earnings forecast sent steelmaking stocks lower in japan, china and s trail kra. australia helped by mining companies, those stocks up today, rio tinto and fortescue metals, helped push the broader s&p up by about 0.8%.