Quick Overview

• The Mortgage Bankers Association said that its index of mortgage application increased 2.8% last week, the highest level this year.
  

• Consumer confidence in Australia increased to 115.5 in March, the highest score in over a year.
  

• YoY China's retail sales in the first two months rose a strong 14.7 %.
  

• Industrial production in the Euro area was down 0.2% in January and up 3.7% YoY.
  

• Asian soybean rust was found in a bin of soybeans that came from southeast Iowa last fall.
  

• The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) said that:
  Supplies of crude oil supplies were up 1.1 million barrels to 325.3 million barrels.
  Supplies of gasoline were down 2.5 million barrels.
  Supplies of heating oil were down 2.1 million barrels.
  Gasoline demand was up 2.8% YoY.
  Distillate demand was up 5.5% YoY.
  

• The Shanghai Futures Exchange is set to start zinc trading later this month.
  
  

• The Brazilian government may boost the amount of ethanol it blends with gasoline to 25%.