- The index of U.S. leading economic indicators fell 0.2 % in August to 137.6 for a second straight month as rising gasoline prices lowered consumer confidence even before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Conference Board reported Thursday.
- The number of U.S. workers filing initial unemployment benefits jumped by 8,000 last week to 432,000, the highest level in more than two years, following dislocations and job losses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. (103,000 of those claims were said to be related to Hurricane Katrina).
- Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Thursday rejected suggestions of an oil shortage and said prices should drop to $40 to $45 a barrel from well over $60.
- Reuters is reporting that 21% of U.S. refinery capacity is closed - ten refineries in Texas and one in Louisiana.
- The U.S. Department of Energy said that underground natural gas supplies were up 74 billion cubic feet last week to 2.932 trillion cubic feet. Supplies are now down 3% from a year ago
- Archer Daniels Midland said that they plan to increase their ethanol production by 500 million gallons by the year 2008.
- November lumber closed up $10 it’s max daily limit due to the hurricanes.
- Brazil's jobless rate held steady at a three-year-low in August and inflation slowed, official data showed on Thursday.
- Japan's trade surplus shrank 80 percent in August from a year earlier, much more than economists had expected as high oil prices boosted import costs, but firm exports suggested that an economic recovery remained on track.
- Canada's consumer price index was up 2.6% in August from a year ago, the biggest gain in two years. Excluding energy, consumer prices were up 1.6% in August from a year ago.
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