This Week's Data and Events
The US currency mounted an aggressive rally during the past week, as the prospect of higher rates in the US, premature as it may be, awakened thoughts that the dollar was severely oversold. And dreams that the G8 meeting will somehow prop up the ailing dollar triggered some significant buying. Don't get fooled by the fluff - the US economy remains in trouble, inflation is rampant, and we all have less money to spend unless we stop eating and driving. The dollar remains in a large consolidation phase, especially versus the European currencies, so it should see some weakness initially before the next wave of strength.This Week's Data and Events
United States
The US economic calendar will start on Monday with the release of the Empire State manufacturing survey and the Homebuilders' survey report for June.Tuesday will see the release of the PPI, Housing starts, and Industrial production and capacity utilization reports for May, and of the Current Account report for the first quarter. Busy day with market moving data.
The Eurozone
The Eurozone data is scarce this week.Germany's ZEW Expectations/Current Situation report for June is due on Tuesday and its Producer Prices report for May on Friday.
Japan
Japan's economic calendar is light this week.It consists of the Tertiary Industrial Activity report for April on Tuesday and of the All Industry Activity report for April on Thursday.
The UK
The UK economic calendar will begin on Tuesday with the release of the CPI report for May.The Bank of England MPC minutes for June are due on Wednesday, the same day with the CBI Industrial Trends Survey total orders for June.
The Retail sales report for May will be released on Thursday.
Canada
Canada's economic calendar will start on Wednesday with the release of the Leading Indicators report for May.Thursday will see the release of the CPI report for May.
The Retail sales report for April is due on Friday.
Past Week's Data and Events
United States
The dollar closed sharply higher, and that was unexpected at the time of writing of the report the previous week. What changed was talk of US higher rates and, more importantly, concerted hikes with our G7/8 central banks, and this supported the US currency. But the G7/8 central banks did not discuss FX, as they focused, as normal, on commodity prices' negative impact on economic growth. So, the dollar should decline here.The data was not that bad overall last week, but we are in trouble deeper than we have ever been before. Lehman is on the edge of the abyss and rumor has it that it's not the only one. And if you thought that Bear Stearns had it bad, you may be in for a big surprise.
Don't get tricked by the exciting reports or by the low inflation data. We eat food, not electronics, and we drive cars, not bikes! The good is going only until jobs start disappearing - that is, in addition to those in the financial sector. If that happens, we'll see a lot of famous names disappearing. And then we may witness social unrest once high food prices start famine is poor countries or they destabilize governments that spend too much on subsidies.
The European currencies fell sharply last week, but I think the sell-off was only part of a consolidation phase. Only cable looks really soft.
The dollar extended its unexpected recovery on Monday on news that an index of existing homes sales rose 6.3 percent in April after a 1 percent drop in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. On a yearly basis, the index contracted 13.1 percent.
The trade deficit widened 7.8 percent to $60.9 billion in April, the highest level since March 2007, amid surging costs of energy. The March gap was revised down to $56.5 billion from a previously reported $58.2 billion. Imports grew 4.5 percent and exports climbed 3.3 percent.
The Eurozone
The euro/dollar sank sharply last week, but at the end of the day, it's closing one week up and one week down. That would suggest gains this week.The German trade surplus widened to 18.7 billion euros in April from 16.6 billion euros in March.
French industrial production rebounded 1.4 percent in April from a 1 percent drop in March.
The Eurozone industrial production expanded 0.9 percent in April from March's -0.5 percent (initially -0.2 percent), and 3.9 percent on the year from 1.6 percent.
The Bank of France index of manufacturing confidence fell to 97 in May, the lowest level since July 2005, from a revised 100 in April. It also cut its GDP forecast for the second quarter to 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent.
Japan
Dollar/yen made an unexpected and aggressive rally last week and broke a significant trendline. But I feel it needs to pull back down before further strength is likely.The local data was mixed, unexciting and carried no weight.
Japanese machine orders rose 5.5 percent in April after declining 8.3 percent in March and 12.3 percent in February.
Wholesale prices rose 4.7 percent in May, the fastest pace in 27 years, from 3.9 percent in April.
The current-account surplus narrowed 30 percent to 1.38 trillion yen in April from a year earlier.
Japan's first-quarter GDP was revised upward to 1 percent from 0.8 percent reported last month. The annualized rate came up at 4 percent from 3.3 percent estimated last month.
Japan revised industrial to output -0.2 percent in April from the initial -0.3 percent, and follows a 3.4 percent contraction in March.
The UK
The sterling/dollar fell sharply last week, but remained in a trading range.The pound rallied on Monday on additional evidence of rampant inflation in the U.K., which implies higher rates. Producer prices rose 1.6 percent and input prices rose 3.8 percent in May, the highest rate from since comparable records began in 1986. On a yearly basis, prices rose 8.9 percent.
Retail sales increased 1.9 percent in May on an annual basis, according to the British Retail Consortium.;
Factory production unexpectedly rose 0.1 percent in April after a 0.5 percent drop in March. On a yearly basis earlier, manufacturing rose 0.1 percent.
Unemployment rose by 9,000 to 819,300 in May amid staff cuts. But the claimant count rate stood unchanged at 2.5 percent in May.
Canada
Dollar/Canada rallied further last week, but the central bank didn't cut rates and commodity prices didn't fall either. So, only the exports to the US are suffering. Significant, at 75%, but maybe not for FX.Canadian new-home starts rose a greater-than-expected 3.5 percent in May. But the local currency sank despite the data.
The trade surplus narrowed to C$5.11 billion in April, buy the March surplus was revised up to C$5.70 billion from an initial C$5.53 billion. Exports grew 0.8 percent and imports increased by 2.6 percent.
New home prices showed no change in April. On an annual basis, prices slowed to 5.2 percent in April, its weakest pace in 15 year.
Finally, labor productivity declined 0.3 percent in the first quarter due to a drop in manufacturing output, fewer working hours and bad weather, from 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. In the United States, productivity came in at +0.6 percent in the first quarter.
Switzerland
Dollar/Swiss franc had an outside week, but it's trading one week up and one week down, and this week should see some weakness.Australia
The Australian dollar ended the week sharply down, as the adversity for risk increased. But I think that it found support and should attempt to recover this week.But let's keep it in mind that the economy is no longer perfect.
Australia's economy unexpectedly lost 19,700 workers jobs in May, but the jobless rate held at 4.3 percent.
Cornelius Luca http://www.gftforex.com
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