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Fundamental News Today’s highlights: · BoJ Press Conference (JAP, Tentative) · BoC Gov Carney Speaks (CAD, 13:25 GMT) · GDP (QoQ) + Employment Cost Index (QoQ) (U.S, 13:30 GMT) · Michigan Consumer Sentiment(U.S, 14:55 GMT) According to the Labor Department, new unemployment claims for the week ended April 21st came in at a seasonally adjusted level of 388,000. The figure for the latest week marks a marginal drop from the previous week's revised level of 389,000. While, NAR said its pending home sales index rose 4.1 percent to 101.4 in March. Retail sales in Japan were up 10.3 percent on year in March, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Friday, standing at 12.432 trillion yen. While, Japan’s industrial production rose less than forecast ...

Fundamental News Today’s highlights: German 10-Year Bund Auction (GER, 09:30 GMT) Housing Starts (CAD, 12:15 GMT) Import Price Index (MoM) (U.S, 12: 30 GMT) 10-Year Note Auction + Beige Book + Federal Budget Balance (U.S, 18:00 GMT) U.S. wholesale inventories rose by more than expected in the month of February. The level of inventories for wholesalers was at a seasonally adjusted level of $478.9 billion in February, reflecting a 0.9 percent increase from January levels, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Commerce. A leading indicator of economic performance in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area increased for the fourth straight month in February. The composite leading indicator, which is designed to anticipate ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights: Core Durable Goods Orders (MoM) (US, 13:30 GMT) German CPI (MoM) (GER, Tentative) Italian 10-Year BTP Auction (ITA, 10:10 GMT) CB Consumer Confidence (US, 15:00 GMT) GfK German Consumer Climate (GER, 07:00 GMT) Pending home sales in the U.S. rose by more than expected in the month of January, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Monday, with the pending home sales index rising to its highest level in almost two years. Pending home sales index rose 2.0 percent to 97.0 in January from a downwardly revised 95.1 in December. Japanese small business confidence weakened in February, survey results from Shoko Chukin Bank showed Tuesday. The headline business confidence index fell to 45.3 from 45. ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights: German ZEW Economic Sentiment (GER, 09:00 GMT) BOE Inflation Letter (GB, Tentative) Retail Sales (MoM) (U.S 13:30 GMT) Moody's Investors Service downgraded the ratings on six Eurozone countries, mainly citing the uncertainty over the euro area's prospects for institutional reform of its fiscal and economic framework. Italian debt rating was downgraded to A3 from A2, while Malta too was cut to A3 from A2. Spain saw its rating falling to A3 from A1. The ratings on Portugal were lowered to Ba3 from Ba2. Slovakia and Slovenia have their ratings cut to A2 from A1. Furthermore, the outlook on the AAA ratings of France, Austria and the United Kingdom was changed to 'negative'. Moody's said the increased uncertainty regarding the pace of ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights: German Ifo Business Climate Index (GER, 09:00 GMT) GDP (QoQ) + MPC Meeting Minutes (GB, 09:30 GMT) ECB President Draghi Speaks (EUR, 09:15 GMT) FOMC Statement (US, 19:15 GMT) RBNZ Rate Statement (NZ, 19:00 GMT) In an update to its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF said on Tuesday that the euro area would fall into a mild recession in 2012 after the euro area crisis entered a "perilous new phase" toward the end of last year, affecting other parts of the world including the United States, emerging markets, and developing countries. Overall, activity in the advanced economies is now projected to expand by just 1.2 percent in 2012, a downward revision of 3/4 percentage points relative to the forecast last September, picking up ...

(Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average closed at its highest level in more than two months on Friday, with investor sentiment riding high on encouraging results from U.S. banks, while near-term concerns over Europe eased after solid demand at debt auctions. Financial shares advanced in Tokyo after upbeat earnings from Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) further confirmed the strength of the U.S. economic recovery despite headwinds from Europe's sovereign debt crisis. Japan's top brokerage Nomura Holdings (8604.T) jumped 5.2 percent and rival Daiwa Securities Group (8601.T) added 6.2 percent. The three major Japanese banks were among the heaviest traded shares by turnover on the main board, with Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) and ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights: Trade Balance + Import Price Index (MoM) (U.S, 13:30 GMT) Trade Balance (CAD, 13:30 GMT) Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (U.S, 14:55 GMT) PPI Input (MoM) (GB, 09:30 GMT) Economic data released in U.S Thursday: U.S. businesses saw a continued increase in inventories in November but at a slower rate than many had expected, according to figures released Thursday by the Commerce Department. Commerce Department figures put total U.S. business inventories at $1.55 trillion for November, up 0.3 percent to a new record in raw dollar terms. First-time claims from U.S. unemployment benefits rose by more than anticipated in the week ended January 7th. According to a report released by the Labor Department, initial jobless claims ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights; • Ivey PMI (CAD, 15:00 GMT) • Initial Jobless Claims (U.S, 13:30 GMT) • ADP Nonfarm Employment Change (U.S, 15:15 GMT) • Industrial New Orders (MoM) (EUR, 10:00 GMT) New orders for U.S. manufactured goods rebounded in November, increasing for the first time in three months, according to figures released Wednesday by the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department figures showed that new orders for manufactured goods were at $459.2 million in November, a 1.8 percent increase over October's figures. Moreover, Retail sales at stores open more than a year may have gained as much as 4.5 percent in December, more than previously estimated, as U.S. shoppers pursued holiday discounts, a trade group said, according to a report published by Bloomberg. The ...

Fundamental News: Today’s highlights: • Core Retail Sales (MoM) (CAC, 13:30 GMT) • GDP (QoQ) (US, 13:30 GMT) • FOMC Meeting Minutes (US, 19:00 GMT) U.S Existing Home Sales which measures the change in the annualized number of existing residential buildings that were sold during the previous month rose unexpectedly to 4.97M in October from 4.90M in September, as published in a report of the National Association of Realtors on Monday. On the other hand, Canadian wholesale sales rose less-than-expected in September by 0.3%. Chinese vice Premier Wang Qishan, said over the weekend that his expectations that the global economy is headed for a prolonged global downturn, which will have negative applications on the Chinese’s economy and he added that the world is likely to experience a prolonged ...