SYDNEY (Dow Jones)–Australia’s manufacturing sector continued to contract in March, though at a slower pace, as still weak domestic and global demand crimps factory output, according to a performance gauge produced by an industry group published Wednesday.

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- There is a high probability that this week’s meeting of Group of 20 leading developed and developing economies in London will be successful in significantly improving global regulation, German Finance Minster Peer Steinbrueck said Tuesday.

BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)–Argentina will debut a revamped Merval stock index for the second quarter containing just 10 companies, the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange reported Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–U.S. overall consumer confidence held steady in the latest week, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday.

MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Mexico is ready to open a credit line of $30 billion to $40 billion with the International Monetary Fund, which would be the first time in nearly a decade Mexico has borrowed from the multilateral organization.

BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)–Argentine stocks were largely mixed Tuesday in the last day of trading before the Merval index gets a mmakeover for the second quarter.

MEXICO CITY (Dow Jones)–Mexico’s peso gained against the dollar Tuesday, but ended the first quarter weaker as Mexico’s exposure to the U.S. recession continues to dog the local currency.

TORONTO (Dow Jones)–The Canadian dollar ended only slightly higher after ceding earlier gains on Tuesday, as more negativity on the economic front combined with the failure of oil prices to sustain an early rebound caused the currency to underperform in an overall less risk averse environment.

(Updated with additional details from the meeting, in the third and sixth through 13th paragraphs.)

For today, in contracts.