Thursday, August 11, 2005

Quick Overview

  • U.S. Retail sales were up 1.8% in July. Excluding autos, retail sales were up just 0.3%.

  • U.S. Jobless claims declined 6,000 to 308,000 last week .

  • The U.S. Commerce Department said that business sales rose 0.7% in June, inventories are unchanged.

  • GDP in the Euro zone increased 0.3% in the second quarter and 1.2% YoY.

  • Australia's unemployment rate was 5.0% in July, the lowest in 29 years.

  • The gold miners' strike in South Africa ended after the National Union of Mineworkers recommended that workers accept a pay raise of 6.5%. Still, December gold rose $8.90 at $450.90, the highest close in over four months.

  • The U.S. Department of Energy said that underground supplies of natural gas were up 43 billion cubic feet at 2.463 trillion cubic feet.

  • Italy's GDP rose 0.7% in the second quarter, the largest gain in four years.

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