Quick Overview

• Sweden AMS unemployment rate July, at 5.2% versus 5.3% expected.

• Norwegian Retail Sales MoM June, at -1.1% versus -1.2% expected.
  

• Norwegian Unemployment rate (AKU) May, at 4.6% versus 3.9% expected.
  

• UK Visible trade balance June, at -6463 versus -6200 expected.
  

• US MBA Mortgage Applications Aug, out at 4.95 showed the housing industry still has a pulse and the housing sector may be able to stabilize now that mortgage rates have stopped rising.
  

• Canadian Housing starts July, at 236.5k versus 225.0K expected.
  

• Machinery orders in Japan +8.5% in June, more than expected.
  
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said that:
  Supplies of crude oil were down 1.1 million barrels to 332.6 million barrels.
  Supplies of unleaded gasoline were down 3.2 million barrels
  Supplies of heating oil supplies were up 1.1 million barrels.
  
  

• DJ Newswires said China's textile industry expects cotton imports to increase from 2.6 million tons last year to 7 million by 2010.