High Temperatures In Key

The Weekly Bottom Line HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK United States - U.S. job creation may have weakened in the last few months, but the grounds for sustaining stronger employment growth are more fertile now than have been since the economic recovery began. Europe's labor market, by contrast, is likely to deteriorate further before it gets better. - Europe's (nonfinancial) corporate sector is highly leveraged. As balance sheet adjustments are made, Europe risks further decreases in investment, higher layoffs, and lower economic growth. These effects are compounded by deleveraging in the public sector. - U.S. corporations, by contrast, are more profitable and liquid than they have ever been. At some point some of these funds will be unleashed towards new investment, creating a positive ...

(Reuters) - A new biotech corn developed by Dow AgroSciences could answer the prayers of U.S. farmers plagued by a fierce epidemic of super-weeds. Or it could trigger a flood of dangerous chemicals that may make weeds even more resistant and damage other important U.S. crops. Or, it could do both. "Enlist," entering the final stages of regulatory approval, has become the latest flashpoint in the debate about the risks and rewards about farm technology. With a deadline to submit public comments on Dow's proposal at the end of this week, more than 5,000 individuals and groups have already weighed in. Dow Agrosciences, a unit of Dow Chemical Co, hopes to have the product approved this year and released by the 2013 crop. The corn itself is not the issue -- rather it is the potent herbicide ...

(Reuters) - Benchmark spot natural gas prices slid to their lowest mark in more than 10 years early Friday, pressured by mild spring weather and record-high supplies that have dragged down the gas futures market for weeks. While natural gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange have hit fresh 10-year lows in eight of the past nine trading sessions, cash prices had held near two-year lows despite crumbling demand and bloated inventories. Gas for weekend delivery at the nation's benchmark supply point Henry Hub in Louisiana slid to an early average of $1.82 per million British thermal units, its lowest price since December 2001, after breaking below the two-year low of $1.83 per mmBtu, Reuters data showed. With high temperatures in key consuming regions of the nation mostly in the ...

(Reuters) - Natural gas futures finished sharply lower on Tuesday as forecasts for moderate U.S. weather and an ever growing supply glut sparked selling that knocked the front-month contract to a new 10-year low. Tuesday's slide followed a nearly 2 percent rally on Monday when the market staged a technical bounce after falling 5 percent last week. With storage at a record high for this time of year and production still running at or near an all-time peak, most traders remain skeptical of any upside in prices at least until some sustained heat forces homeowners and businesses to crank up their air conditioners and boost demand. "We're in the (spring) shoulder period, and storage is already jam packed. We've got a big oversupply right now," a New England-based trader said, noting weather ...

The Weekly Bottom Line HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK United States A narrowing trade deficit and larger than expected inventory accumulation in February suggests Q1 growth will be closer to 2.5-3.0% than our previous forecast for 1.7%. That being said, this does not change our underlying outlook. The higher print on GDP reflects an inventory swing and improved trade balance due to weak imports. In contrast, domestic demand still appears set to post a shallow 2% gain. In order for the U.S. economy to generate sustained growth at the 3% level, we will need to see a much healthier job market that is capable of generating widespread growth in real incomes. Canada In two survey releases, the Bank of Canada detailed that businesses are more upbeat about their sales' prospects and ...

Natural gas futures slid more than 2 percent early Tuesday, breaking to their lowest mark in just over 10 years, as a mild winter left inventories swollen at record levels. "Natural gas is a reflection of the current, and seemingly future, state of supply and demand. What else can possibly be said given the incredibly mild winter temperatures across most of the country, much less the exceedingly mild winter we're coming out of, that hasn't been said before," said Jay Levine, broker, energy, LLC in Portland, Maine. Front-month April natural gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange were at $2.22 per million British thermal units in early activity, down 4.9 cents, or just over 2 percent, after sliding to $2.204 which marked a contract low and the cheapest price for a front month ...

U.S. natural gas futures fell to near 10-year lows on Thursday after a government report showed a smaller-than-expected decline in weekly inventories. The U.S. Energy Information Administration report showed total domestic gas inventories fell last week by 80 billion cubic feet to 2.433 trillion cubic feet. With production still running at or near all-time highs and inventories set to end a very mild winter at a record high, gas prices have been on the defensive, falling 15 percent this month and nearly 25 percent since the beginning of the year. And the slide may not be over. There are still concerns storage ratchets, or contractual obligations, could force some to cycle gas out of inventory to meet minimum seasonal turnover requirements before March 31. That could flood the market ...

(Reuters) - European and Asian stocks climbed on Friday as appetite for risky assets continued to improve following the European Central Bank's huge cash injection, while the yen hit a nine-month low versus the dollar and Japanese importers sold yen. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares was up 0.2 percent in early trade, led by a rally in banking shares such as Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) and Societe Generale (SOGN.PA). "The ECB's action does appear to have made a significant difference and people are more relaxed now. The fact that Italian bond yields have been on a decline in recent days is certainly a helpful factor," said Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. The ECB's half a trillion euros in cheap, 3-year loans added to the banking system this week has ...

(Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures were about 3 to 4 cents higher early Tuesday, adding to Monday's gains amid forecasts for cooler weather in the Northeast and Midwest. Front-month March natural gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange were at $2.583 per million British thermal units in early U.S. activity, up 3.3 cents. The front month fell in late January to $2.231, a contract low and the lowest price for a front month since March 2002, forcing some producers, such as Chesapeake Energy (CHK.N), to announce production cuts. In the cash market, gas bound for the NYMEX delivery point Henry Hub in Louisiana was heard early near $2.60 on volume near 498 million cubic feet, up 14 cents from Monday's $2.46 average. Early Hub cash deals were done at about a 3-cent premium to the ...