Thursday, June 16, 2005

Quick Overview

  • Housing starts rose 0.2% in May, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, to the fastest overall annual pace in three months.

  • The number of U.S. workers filing for initial unemployment benefits gained 1,000 to 333,000 for the week ended June 11, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

  • London inventories of copper continue to contract, falling by 1,000 tons today to 38,300 tons

  • The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's index of regional activity dropped from +7.3 to -2.2 in May, weaker than expected.

  • Machinery orders in Japan were down 1% in April.

  • The U.S. Department of Energy said that supplies of underground natural gas were up 73 billion cubic feet at 1.963 trillion cubic feet. Supplies are now up 12% from a year ago.


  • EU's top trade official says European companies must respond swiftly to China's emerging industrial power.

  • Retail sales in the U.K. were up 0.1% in May and up 1.3% from a year ago.

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