Quick Overview

• The U.S. Commerce Department said that personal incomes rose 0.4% in October and consumer spending went up by 0.2%.
  

• YoY the core rate of personal consumption expenditures, was up just 1.8% in October, the smallest gain in six months.
  

• U.S. jobless claims were down by 17,000 last week to 320,000.
  

• An index of U.S. manufacturing fell from 59.1 to 58.1 in November following the two fastest-growing months of the year, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday
  

• Construction spending rose 0.7% to an annual rate of 1.13 trillion in October for a fourth straight month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
  

• Sugar closed at the highest level in nine years – an other production deficit is forecast for 2006 and 2007
  

• Gold closed at the highest level (above $500) for 1st time since 1987
  

• The DoE said that natural gas supplies were down 49 billion cubic feet to 3.225 trillion cubic feet. YoY supplies are down 2%.
  
  

• London inventories of copper now are at 72,600 tons,
  

• The Bank of Japan needs to not only make sure the economy does not fall back into deflation but should conduct monetary policy in a way that ensures a steady rise in prices, a government report said on Friday.
  
  

• The European Central Bank increased its interest rate, from 2.00% to 2.25%, for the first time in five years.