Blogs
Prospects Daily: Gold, silver continue declines, US leading indicator improves, Thailand and Chile GDP growth slows
Financial Markets…The yen gained the most in three weeks versus the dollar on Monday, appreciating 0.7% to 102.56 per dollar, after Japan’s economy minister suggested further slide in the currency may have negative effects. Japan’s currency declined 21% in the past six months and fell to a 41/2 year low last week. Weaker yen have pushed Japanese government bonds lower and sent the country’ benchmark stock index to a 41/2 year high.
Prospects Daily: Turkish bond yields at record lows on rating upgrade, Spain posts first monthly trade surplus, Russia and Mexico GDP slows.
Financial Markets…Turkish government bonds rallied on Friday, with the benchmark 2-year note yield sliding 19 basis points to a record low of 4.61%, after Moody’s Investor Service raised the country’s credit rating to investment grade for the first time in two decades. Rates on the 2-year bonds have tumbled 138 bps this year. The nation’s stocks also rallied, sending the Borsa Istanbul 100 index gained as much as 1.3% to record highs.
World Bank publishes Commodity Price Forecasts - May 2013
The World Bank just published the May 2013 edition of commodity price forecasts. Most prices are expected to decline in 2013, a reflection of improved supply conditions (most commodities, including food), diminished geopolitical risks (crude oil), less appetite for safe haven assets (precious metals), and lower energy prices (fertilizers).
Prospects Daily: Italian and Spanish bonds fall, Eurozone remains in recession, Malaysia GDP growth slows
Financial Markets…Foreign demand for US assets declined for a second consecutive month in March as signs of global economic stability encouraged the “risk on” trade. Net foreign sales of long-term US equities, bonds, and other financial assets totaled $13.5 billion during the month of March, up slightly from a net selling of $13.3 billion in February.
Prospects Daily: Eurozone IP recovers, Brazil’s Petrobras sells the largest developing-country debt on record, India’s inflation eases in April
Financial Markets… Japanese government bonds declined for a third day on Tuesday, sending 5-year yields to a near two-year high of 0.4%, as a rise in country’s stocks and U.S. Treasury yields damped demand for the country’s debt which carries one of the lowest yields in the world. The benchmark 10-year bond yield climbed as much as 61/2 basis points to 0.855%.
Prospects Daily: Dollar continues to rise, US retail sales flat in April, Chinese investment eases
Financial Markets…The dollar extended its gains on Monday, pushing oil and gold prices lower, on a better-than-expected US retail sales report for April, bolstering optimism in the world’s biggest economy. The DXY index, which tracks the greenback’s values against its major counterparts, has gained 5% since Friday. The S&P 500 index opened lower amid some profit taking after rising to a record high on Friday. US Treasuries meanwhile continued to fall, pushing the benchmark 10-year yield to a seven-week high of 1.92%, on lower demand for safe-haven government bonds.
Prospects Daily: Japanese Yen weakens further…German exports pick up…Mexican industrial production contracts sharply
Financial Markets…G3 government bonds declined on Friday, as signs that their economies is improving amid monetary stimulus damped demand for the safe-haven debt. U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose as much as 6 basis points to a five-week high of 1.87%, while comparable yields on German and Japanese bonds climbed 3 bps and 10 bps to 1.3% and 0.69%, respectively.
Prospects Daily: Spanish bonds decline…US jobless claims fall to new low…China inflation picks up
Financial Markets…Spanish government bonds declined on Thursday, with the benchmark 10-year yield climbing 9 basis points to 4.19% after reaching 4.21% earlier, after the country’s new debt auction saw somewhat weaker-than-expected demand. Spain sold €4.57 billion of 3-, 5-, and 13-year bonds today, with the bid-to-cover ratio (proxy for investor’s demand for a bond auction) dropping considerably from the previous auctions.
Prospects Daily: Equities reach new highs…German IP momentum builds…China returns to trade surplus
Financial Markets… Global stock markets continued to advance on Wednesday, with European and Japanese shares rising to five-year highs, on the back of robust China trade data and unexpected rise in Germany’s March industrial production. Developing-country’s shares also rose, with the benchmark MSCI index rising to a two-month high. Meanwhile, U.S. equities opened slightly lower amid profit-taking among investors after a four-day rally which took both S&P and Dow indexes to fresh highs on Tuesday.


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