Friday, August 19, 2005

Quick Overview

  • The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation’s emergency stockpile of crude oil, has been filled to the 700 million-barrel level ordered by President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Bloomberg reported.

  • Chinese gasoline traders and manufacturers urged the government to ease price controls blamed for shortages in Shanghai Bloomberg reported.

  • The euro zone posted a trade surplus of 6.5 bln Eur in June compared with a revised surplus of 2.7 bln in May and a year-earlier surplus of 8.3 bln, EU statistics agency Eurostat said.

  • Oil climbed more than 3 percent on Friday because of rocket attacks in the Middle East and a fire at a massive refining complex in Venezuela.

  • Ecuador's government warned on Friday that troops could open fire to quell protests that have crippled oil output and forced the country to ask Venezuela for a loan of crude oil so it can keep up exports.

  • MBIA Inc. , one of the world's largest bond insurers, said on Friday the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may recommend civil action against the company over defaulted bonds issued by a unit of a Pennsylvania health group

  • A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. liable Friday for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx, awarding his widow $253.4 million in damages in the first of thousands of pending lawsuits

  • After the close, the USDA said there were 10.092 million head of cattle on feed on August 1st, up 2.3% YoY - fewer than expected. July placements were down 2.4% and marketing’s were down 0.4% YoY.

  • The Florida Citrus Processors said there were 125.3 million gallons of frozen orange juice concentrate in inventory on August 13th, down 31% Y oY.

  • France's GDP increased 0.1% in the second quarter.

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