Economic Data

The dollar is broadly weaker as sentiment improves in the wake of an agreement on fiscal integration. European officials have struck what appears to be significant agreement; one of the costs is a new split in Europe as the UK and others…

Financial news links for 8 December 2011 including stories on Denmark and Danish bank capital, the European sovereign debt crisis and Spanish banks

Here are a few code words that you will often see in economic writing followed by their true meaning. The code word is a dog whistle. It acts like an emotional marker only for those attuned to the underlying 'moral' issues inferred by the…

The dollar is trading slightly firmer ahead of today’s ECB rate decision and tomorrow’s summit. We expect the ECB to cut by 25bps, with a possibility of a 50bps cut; look to fade knee-jerk reaction. Australia’s employment much weaker than…

Asia extended the euro's recovery, but developments in Europe have seen it surrender the earlier gains and move back toward the lows seen in North America yesterday near $1.3360. The relatively light participation in the ECB's 84-day…

In the aftermath of the emergence of a “reinforced ‘Stability and Growth Pact’”, Citigroup chief economist Willem Buiter is pessimistic about growth outcomes in the major developed economies because the political economy of the sovereign…

The euro sold off amid the rumors of the S&P decision to put on credit watch 15 euro zone countries. Spared was Greece, in a world of its own, and Cyprus, which was already on credit watch. It sold off further in Asia, but Europe has…

A breakdown of employment gains and losses by industry plus an excerpt of what the BLS had to say about this morning’s employment report

As often is the case, economic data can be a bit of a Rorschach test, in that reasonable people can see and value different aspects of the report. This holds for today's US employment report. The headlines were good--140k private sector…

Bottom line: the numbers are decent but they beat expectations. Markets are in a bullish end of year tape painting frame of mind, so stocks will rally. Daddy needs a bonus so Santa is indeed coming to town. The Santa Claus rally is on.