Quick Overview

• U.S. factory orders were up 1.1% in December and up 8.4% for 05.
  

• The University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment dipped from 91.5 to 91.2 in January.
  

• The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.7%, a 4 1/2-year low as businesses cranked up hiring in January.
  

• The ISM index of U.S. services fell from 61.0 to 56.8 in January, still a sign of expansion.
  
  

• Argentina's consumer prices climbed 1.3 percent in January, driven up by rises in tourism, health care and food costs, the Economy Ministry said on Friday.
  
  
  

• The USDA increased the permissible raw sugar imports for 2006 by 250,000 tons to 1,901,497 tons.
  
  

• An index of services in the Euro zone increased from 56.8 to 57.0 in January, the highest in two years.
  

• Eurostat estimated inflation in the Euro zone at 2.4% in January, up from 2.2% in December.