daytrades april 20 afternoon, page-38

2pm - 'Economic news' courtesy reminder time Traders,

Please note the following 'Economic news' which is due out in the US this evening:-

Market Focus/Highlights

"Ben Bernanke and Tim Geithner get to relive the Lehman Brothers nightmare in front of the House financial services committee." [Source: Bloomberg]

Ben Bernanke speaks (with Tim Geithner) [High volatility expected]
[Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will testify before the House Financial Services Committee on the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.]

ICSC-Goldman Store Sales
[This weekly measure of comparable store sales at major retail chains, published by the International Council of Shopping Centers, is related to the general merchandise portion of retail sales. It accounts for roughly 10 percent of total retail sales.]

Redbook
[A weekly measure of sales at chain stores, discounters, and department stores. It is a less consistent indicator of retail sales than the weekly ICSC index. It is also calculated differently than other indicators.]

API Crude Oil Inventories (Apr 16)
[API Crude Oil Inventories released by the API is a measure of change in crude oil storage. This report indicates the oil demand and the price volatility. As the oil prices have an impact on worldwide economy, some volatility for the currencies is expected, specially for the CAD. We usually have to take into account that Canada is the world's fourteenth largest producer of oil so a strong oil demand appreciates, or is bullish for the CAD.]

ABC/Washington Post Consumer Confidence (Apr 18)
[The ABC/Washington Post Consumer Confidence released by ABC News and the Washington Post captures the level of confidence that individuals have in economic activity reflecting respondents' evaluations of their personal financial situation. Generally, a high level of consumer confidence stimulates economic expansion while a low level drives to economic downturn. Generally speaking, a high reading is seen as positive (or bullish) for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).]

4-Week Bill Auction
[Treasury bills are sold at public auctions every week.]

... and ...

The following 'Economic news' is due out in Australia tomorrow:-

Westpac Leading Index (MoM) (Feb)
[The Westpac Leading Index released by the Melbourne Institute tracks nine gauges of economic activity, including share prices and telephone installations, to provide an indication of how the economy will perform. It tends to have an impact on the AUD volatility. Generally speaking, the more positive the reading, the better for the currency, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish)]

[Sources: Bloomberg & fxstreet.com]
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ASX Market Watch (widget snapshot)

The DOW Futures are currently Down 9 pts atm (Live).

** If this 2pm/mid-afternoon courtesy reminder of upcoming 'Economic news' is of use to you, then please feel free to give this post a thumbs up, or vice versa! **