Quick Overview

• Durable-goods orders increased by 6.1% last month to a seasonally adjusted $230.61 billion, the Commerce Department said. The market was looking for just a 1.6% increase. The unexpected strength marked the fifth gain in durables in six months. A key barometer of business spending - orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft - rose by 3.0%.
  
  

• U.S. new home sales were at an annual rate of 1.213 million units in March, up 14% from February's pace and more than expected, but down 7% from March of 2005. So far in 2006, new home sales are down 8.2% from a year ago.
  
  
  

• The U.K s. GDP was up 0.6% in the first quarter and up 2.2% YoY.
  

• Australia's consumer price index was up 3% in the first quarter.
  

• Argentina's central bank revised its forecast for 2006 economic growth to above 7 percent from about 6 percent in January.
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said that:
  Supplies of crude oil were down 200,000 barrels to 345.0 million barrels.
  Supplies of unleaded gasoline were down 1.9 million barrels
  Supplies of heating oil supplies were up 600,000 barrels.