September 28, 2007

Japan Deflation Still Proving A Problem

Permalink: Japan Deflation Still Proving A Problem by Stewart Douglas

The Japanese economy appears to be still caught up in a deflation cycle which has seen consumer prices fall steadily over the course of calendar year 2007, according to official figures released today. In the figures released by the Bank of Japan, consumer prices on average feel by around 0.1% over August ...

US Consumers Buoyant In The Face Of Adversity

Permalink: US Consumers Buoyant In The Face Of Adversity by Stewart Douglas

US consumer spending has shown a marked improvement over the course of August over the course of August in the face of credit crunch conditions and a deteriorating housing market, according to official figures released today. In figures released by the US Commerce Department, consumer spending over the course of ...

German Retail Sales Down

Permalink: German Retail Sales Down by Stewart Douglas

Germany's retail sales over the course of August have fallen sharply, mainly as a result of poor weather conditions and a trend towards saving more money, according to official figures released today. In figures released by Germany's Bundesbank, retail sales had fallen over the course of August by around 1.4% from July, reflecting a ...

Stock Markets Mixed In Days Trade

Permalink: Stock Markets Mixed In Days Trade by Stewart Douglas

Stock markets across Europe and the US have tonight closed down on the start of trade, after a day of fairly mixed economic news led to an overall gloomier picture of the world economy. News of US consumers continuing to spend was a welcome relief from the woes of recent months, and ...

IMF Boss Announced As Strauss-Kahn

Permalink: IMF Boss Announced As Strauss-Kahn by Stewart Douglas

The International Monetary Fund has today officially named its new head in line with widespread analysts expectations, continuing what Russia has described as the trend of a European heading the IMF in return for an American heading the WTO. Former French finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn was unveiled today as the new leader of ...

Yen declines over week

Permalink: Yen declines over week by Elaine Frei

The yen declined this week as investors sold the currency to pursue carry trades once again, sending the currency 0.5 percent lower versus both the euro and sterling, to ¥163.50 and ¥234.10 respectively, while it was down 1.6 percent to ¥86.97 in relation to the New Zealand dollar and dropped 1.9 percent to ...

Wheat gains on low storage, higher consumption

Permalink: Wheat gains on low storage, higher consumption by Elaine Frei

December wheat on the Chicago Board of Trade added 6 cents Friday to $9.39 per bushel at the close of trade on a report from the United States Department of Agriculture that wheat in storage is down 1.9 percent from this time last year and that the total harvest is ...

Telecoms up in lower European markets

Permalink: Telecoms up in lower European markets by Elaine Frei

European equities markets were mixed on Friday in the last trading session of the week. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 fell 0.1 percent to 1,549.87, and while the Dax added 0.1 percent to 7,861.51 in Frankfurt, the IBEX fell 0.03 percent to 14,576.5 in Madrid and the Paris CAC-40 dropped 0.31 ...

Oil Up Again As Dollar Weakens

Permalink: Oil Up Again As Dollar Weakens by Stewart Douglas

Oil prices in Asian markets have closed at a new record high through trade today, as a result of the ongoing weakness of the dollar and the perpetual supply fears that have propped up prices for the best part of this year. Through trading in Asia today the price of oil per ...

September 27, 2007

US New Home Sales Down

Permalink: US New Home Sales Down by Stewart Douglas

The number of new homes selling in the US has fallen dramatically over the course of August fuelling fears that the problems of the sub-prime crisis have finally spread to the wider economy, according to official figures released today. The figures had been anticipated to be disappointing, which had seen a sell off ...

Kazakhstan In Oil Deadlock

Permalink: Kazakhstan In Oil Deadlock by Stewart Douglas

The parliament of Kazakhstan has passed a bill that is set to allow the government to cancel existing contracts it has entered with foreign-domiciled companies where doing so is reflective of the interests of the country. The law, which still requires ratification by the President of Kazakhstan has been designed to enable the government ...

World Stocks Up On Morning

Permalink: World Stocks Up On Morning by Stewart Douglas

World stock markets enjoyed a morning of widely positive trading, off the back of fresh hopes that the Federal Reserve would further cut interest rates at their next policy meeting to reflect poor results from within the US. Upon release of figures suggesting that demand for US durable goods had fallen despite the ...

Treasury yields drop on successful auction, home sales

Permalink: Treasury yields drop on successful auction, home sales by Elaine Frei

US Treasury bond prices were up again on Thursday after demand for an auction of 5-year paper showed that foreign investors are still interested in buying US debt and on a report that the sale of new homes dropped 8.3 percent in August. The housing news encouraged the sentiment that ...

Sterling stronger on house prices

Permalink: Sterling stronger on house prices by Elaine Frei

Sterling strengthened on Thursday, adding 0.2 percent versus the euro to £0.6995 and gaining 0.5 percent in relation to both the US dollar and the yen, to $2.0250 against the greenback and to ¥233.75 versus the yen after a survey from Nationwide building society showed that house prices were higher in September. The ...

WTI, Brent each add over $2 per barrel

Permalink: WTI, Brent each add over $2 per barrel by Elaine Frei

Crude oil prices were higher on Thursday after news that inventories at a key delivery depot for West Texas Intermediate crude were lower and on worries that a new tropical storm set to hit Mexico could cause problems for oil producers. November contracts for WTI were up $2.56 to $82.86 ...

Global equities markets see gains

Permalink: Global equities markets see gains by Elaine Frei

Asia-Pacific region equities markets saw gains on Thursday. In Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries and the S&P/ASX200 each rose by an identical 0.87 percent to 6,548 and 6,538.1 respectively. The Shanghai Composite gained 1.33 percent to 5,409.4, while in India the Sensex was 1.35 percent higher to 17,150.56. South Korea’s ...

Euro Up Again On Dollar

Permalink: Euro Up Again On Dollar by Stewart Douglas

The value of the euro has yet again traded strongly up on the dollar on international currency exchanges, as the greenback continues to weaken in the face of poor macroeconomic figures published today. The euro has traded up against the dollar for several successive sessions as investors heavily sell the dollar for fear ...

US Durable Goods Demand Falls

Permalink: US Durable Goods Demand Falls by Stewart Douglas

The level of demand for durable goods from the US has seen its most significant decline for over seven months, according to official figures released today, reflecting ongoing problems with the US economy. In figures released by the US Commerce Department, the level of orders for durable goods, which are generally high-ticket manufactured ...

German Unemployment Reaches 14 Year Low

Permalink: German Unemployment Reaches 14 Year Low by Stewart Douglas

The German rate of unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in over fourteen years off the back of ongoing economic growth in spite of adverse global externalities, according to official figures released today. In figures released by the Federal Labour Agency today, unemployment in the German economy was shown to have ...

£4 billion pound plane order for British Airways

Permalink: £4 billion pound plane order for British Airways by Kay Murchie

British Airways has announced a plane order worth £4 billion at list prices today. The order includes 12 A380 superjumbo planes from Airbus and 24 787 airliners from Boeing Co. The new planes will replace 34 of the airline's longhaul fleet. Both aircrafts will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines which ...