Economic Data

Highlights The US dollar has been softening since yesterday in the European morning.  There has been follow through in euro buying today after the year’s low was successfully tested yesterday.   However, despite…

Earlier today, I had a brief e-mail exchange with Marshall Auerback in which I said that I had basically thrown in the towel on US (and global) policy makers. Early on in this crisis, I had advocated a number of policy paths which I think…

Highlights The US dollar is mixed to start the week, though market conditions remain thin due to the holiday.  The constructive employment report before the weekend has kept the greenback bid against the euro and Swiss franc. …

I've been out all morning, but here are my thoughts on today's employment report. Before the numbers came out, I said I was looking for a mediocre report because that is the sort of not too hot, not too cold kind of report which won't…

Asia: Asian equities rallied on improving global growth prospects, with the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index advancing for its 6th consecutive session.  The 0.3% rise puts the index at its highest level since mid-Jan.  Of note, the…

Yesterday, I wrote a post which examined three different reasons the savings rate in the US could have been falling over the last year. Rebecca Wilder thinks this is a meaningless exercise: Edward Harrison at Credit Writedowns is…

Highlights The US dollar is little changed against the major foreign currencies despite robust purchasing manager index reading throughout Europe and Asia.  The lack of much of a market reaction could reflect one of two factors. …

(click pictures for better viewing) It was hard not to sense that part of the IMF's recent inquiry into Germany's economy was also aimed at asking the country to eat a little bit of humble pie in the context of the ongoing difficulties…

The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released this morning were a mixed bag. The data for January 2010 showed a decline of 0.7% from a year earlier. On a month-to-month basis prices fell 0.4%. Yet nine of the 20 markets in the Composite-20…

The Nationwide, the UK's largest building society, released data this morning showing that UK house prices rebounded in March from February's dip. The average UK home now costs £164,519, up 9.% from year ago levels. Much of the increase has…