Quick Overview

• U.S. Personal income was up 0.6% in February and U.S. consumer spending rose 0.6%.
  U.S. Core rate of personal consumption expenditures rose 0.3% in February and 2.4% YoY.
  The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index fell from 91.3 to 88.4 MoM.
  The Chicago purchasing managers index rose from 47.9 to 61.7 MoM, more than expected.
  U.S. Construction spending rose 0.3% MoM.
  The U.S. said it will impose duties on imports of coated paper from China, raising fears of protectionism.

• Japans unemployment rate was 4.0% in February, the lowest in over eight years.
  Japans household spending in Japan was up 1.3% in February, stronger than expected.
  Japans Industrial production was down 0.2% in February, stronger than expected.
  YoY Japans consumer prices were down 0.2% in February.
  

• Canada's real GDP increased 0.1% in January and 2.0% YoY.
  Canada’s Industrial Product Price was up 4.4% YoY.
  

• Inflation in the euro 13 region will probably reach 1.9 percent in March, the European Union said Friday.
  The unemployment rate in the Euro area fell from 7.4% to 7.3% in February.
  Business sentiment in the Euro area rose from 109.7 to 111.2 MoM.
  

• The unemployment rate in France fell from 8.5% to 8.4% MoM, the lowest in 24 years.
  

• GDP in New Zealand rose 1.5% YoY.
  

• India's central bank raised interest rates to 7.75%.
  

• The USDA's Prospective Plantings report expects:
  90.45 million acres of corn planted this spring, up from 78.3 million acres a year ago. (The biggest corn plantings since 1944) (est. 87.98)
  67.14 million acres of soybeans, down from 75.5 million acres a year ago. (est. 69.17)
  60.30 million acres of wheat, up from 57.3 million acres a year ago.
  12.15 million acres of cotton, down from 15.27 million acres a year ago.
  

• The USDA said that on March 1, 07 there were:
  6.07 billion bushels of corn stocks, down 13% YoY.
  1.78 billion bushels of soybean stocks, up 7% YoY.
  856 million bushels of wheat stocks, down 12% YoY.