Daily Morning Report 29/10/2012

The dollar traded higher against most major currencies on Monday, as investors snapped up safe-haven USD positions to brace for U.S. unemployment data due out later this week as well as the Bank of Japan's latest decision on interest rates.

The USD was up against the GBP, CAD, NZD, AUD, JPY and CHF in Asian session.

 Fears Greece may run into hurdles securing its next tranche of bailout money sparked the risk-off session as well.

Japan, meanwhile, is to release data on unemployment, household spending and industrial production this week, though investors were keeping a close eye on the Bank of Japan, which will announce its latest decision with interest rates and monetary policy on Tuesday.

Later Monday, the U.S. government plans to issue data on personal income and spending for September on Monday even though the government has shut down to brace for Hurricane Sandy. The Federal Reserve, however, will postpone its regularly scheduled data. The Commerce Department will post the monthly report on consumer spending on its web site at 1230 GMT, as regularly scheduled. In contrast, the Fed said it would wait until the federal government reopens to release its data, including a weekly report on selected interest rates and figures on commercial paper issuance.

Daily Afternoon Report 26/10/2012

Earlier in the day, official data showed that Tokyo's core consumer price inflation, which excludes fell by 0.4% in October, less than the expected 0.5% decline, following after a 0.4% fall the previous month.

In the U.S., real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the third quarter of 2012, according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  The increase in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), federal government spending, and residential fixed investment that were partly offset by negative contributions from exports, non-residential fixed investment, and private inventory investment.  Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased.

In addition to that, the dollar index rose to its highest in 1-1/2 months on Friday, helped by the U.S. currency gains against the euro as fresh worries about Greece weighed on the single currency.

Elsewhere, a preliminary report by the IMF showed on Thursday that the Greek debt will be above the target of 120 percent of GDP in 2020, hence Athens will need more reforms before emergency credit from international lenders can start flowing again.

A separate report showed that Spain's unemployment rate rose to 25.0% in the second quarter, from a rate of 24.6% the previous quarter, barely beating expectations for a rise to 25.1%.

Daily Morning Report 26/10/2012

In Europe, the IMF dropped the Irish GDP forecast to 1.1% and the Bundesbank points to downside risks of the 1.8% growth forecast in Germany. The Euro has extended its weakening against the US Dollar after the US closing bell in the back of news from APPL missing dividends estimates and news from Europe on Greece needs an additional €30 billion thru 2016.

The Aussie dollar started a rally early Wednesday morning that instigated with the surprise showing from 3Q CPI figures. The 2.0 per cent pace it does remove some pressure for aggressive cuts.

The Chinese PMI figures which printed better than expected but were 12 months into a reductionary phase. The UK Q3 GDP came much stronger-than-expected at 1% versus 0.6%.

 AUD/JPY is set to print gains for a third straight week, with traders observing for the Bank of Japan to increase its current 90 trillion Yen QE program by another 10 trillion Yen next week, according to the latest Japanese press reports.

Daily Afternoon Report 25/10/2012

Earlier Thursday, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5%, marking Governor Graeme Wheeler's first decision as head of the central bank, after replacing Alan Bollard in late September.

The preliminary release of the UK Q3 GDP came in much stronger than expected causing EUR/GBP to plunge, while GBP/USD rose.

The euro extended its correction versus the dollar after the jobless claims drop as well as the durable goods orders rise to more than expected levels.

Elsewhere, the yen remained broadly weaker amid mounting speculation over the possibility of more easing by the BoJ at its upcoming policy meeting on October 30.

Daily Morning Report 25/10/2012

The Great Britain pound advanced on hopes that the United Kingdom will emerge from recession. Traders turned their attention to the GDP report, released today, which is expected to show growth of 0.6% in the Q3. BoE Governor Mervyn King appears to be softening the tone on monetary policy.

German and French manufacturing data disappointed markets with PMI reporting under forecast, followed by a slew of other German data all under forecast and the EU manufacturing PMI also under forecast.  Reports are surfacing that officials from the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund rejected Germany’s proposal to tighten Greece’s access to the established financial aid account. With this proposal out of the way, the market is pricing in the possibility that Greece will eventually get its next tranche of aid. 

Canadian Dollar strengthened against its U.S. counterpart boosted by a hawkish statement from the Bank of Canada on Tuesday that stands in stark contrast to most other developed economies. The central bank was expected to set the currency’s direction for a second straight session, with Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney holding a news conference following the release of its Monetary Policy Report later on Wednesday.

US new Home Sales surprised markets with a strong upward report coming in above forecast at 389k against 385k supporting a US recovery