Thanks Highlandlad! 1pm - 'Economic news' courtesy reminder time...

Thanks Highlandlad!

1pm - 'Economic news' courtesy reminder time Traders!

'Market Focus' in the US this evening

"A second jump in jobless claims could make for a reversal in Treasury rates." [Source: nasdaq.com., Mark Pender]

'Market Reflections' from the last trading session (08.12.2010)

"Treasury rates jumped for a second day as extension of tax cuts and extension of jobless benefits are worked out in Washington. The 2-year yield, at 0.61 percent, rose eight basis points on top of yesterday's 10 point spike. At 3.24 percent, the 10-year yield added 11 basis points to Tuesday's 20 point spike.

Another factor pressuring rates is a third straight weekly gain for home-purchase applications which, together with last week's strong pending home sales report, are raising sudden optimism on the housing sector.

Stocks have been caught between economic optimism tied to actions in Washington, offset by the deadening effect of higher rates. The Dow was little changed for a second day, ending at 11,372.

Higher rates are having a clearer effect on the dollar, making the currency more attractive against other currencies where rates are lower. The dollar index rose 0.3 percent on the day. Strength in the dollar is weighing on gold, down nearly one percent to $1,382 and making Monday's $1,430 record a distant memory. Oil is holding steady, down slightly to $88.38." [Source: nasdaq.com., Mark Pender]
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Of note in the US this evening:-

BOE Announcement [ Market moving indicator]
[The Bank of England announces its monetary policy with regard to interest rates monthly.]

Jobless Claims [ Merits extra attention]
[New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing (decreasing) trend suggests a deteriorating (improving) labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smoothes out weekly volatility.]

EIA Natural Gas Report [ Merits extra attention]
[The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides weekly information on natural gas stocks in underground storage for the U.S., and three regions of the country. The level of inventories helps determine prices for natural gas products.]

Wholesale Trade
[Wholesale trade measures the dollar value of sales made and inventories held by merchant wholesalers. It is a component of business sales and inventories.]

Money Supply
[The monetary aggregates are alternative measures of the money supply by degree of liquidity. Changes in the monetary aggregates indicate the thrust of monetary policy as well as the outlook for economic activity and inflationary pressures.]

3-Month Bill Announcement; 6-Month Bill Announcement; 52-Week Bill Announcement; and 30-Yr Bond Auction [Weekly Bill Settlement]
[Treasury bills are sold at public auctions every week; and Treasury notes are sold at regularly scheduled public auctions.]

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... AND ...
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Of note in Australia tomorrow:-

Foreign Reserves (Nov)
[The Foreign Reserves released by the Reserve bank of Australia present changes in the value of official reserve assets reflecting purchases and sales (including swaps) of foreign exchange by the Reserve Bank, earnings on foreign securities, transactions with official institutions overseas. A high reading is is seen as positive (or bullish) for the AUD, while a low reading is seen as negative.]

[Sources used: nasdaq.com; bloomberg.com; fxstreet.com; dailymarkets.com; www.dailyfx.com; & ozforex.com.au]
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ASX Market Watch (widget snapshot)



Gold Spot Price atm (Kitco)

... and the DOW futures are currently Up 35 pts atm (Live)!