Quick Overview

• The Federal Reserve kept the federal funds rate unchanged at 5.25%, as expected.
  
  

• U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson said he feared that support for keeping U.S. markets open to foreign investment was breaking down.
  

• Japan's leading indicators out at 40% in March, a sign of slower growth ahead.
  

• Consumer confidence in the U.K. rose from 88 to 90 in April.
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said that:
  Supplies of crude oil were up 5.6 million barrels last week to 341.2 million barrels.
  Supplies of gasoline were up 400,000 barrels
  Supplies of heating oil were down 500,000 barrels
  Gasoline demand was up 1.0% YoY
  Distillate demand was up 5.2% YoY.