Quick Overview

• The Institute of Supply Management said its index of services dropped from 55.8 to 54.8, about as expected.
  

• Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress called for the appointment of a "mortgage czar" to help stem a jump in foreclosures.
  

• Australia's retail sales rose 0.7% in August.
  

• Retail sales volume in the Euro area rose 0.1% in August, and 1.0% YoY.
  

• Nine environmental groups called for annual investments of 1 billion reals to bring destruction of the Amazon rain forest to a halt by 2015.
  

• AWB Ltd. estimates the Australian wheat crop at 13 million tons.
  

• The U.S. Grain Council estimates China's corn crop at 139 million tons ( 5.5 billion bushels), down 6 million tons from last year.
  

• Brazils coffee crop needs rain, but the forecast is sunny and dry for the next ten days.
  
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said that:
  Supplies of crude oil were up 1.2 million barrels to 321.8 million barrels.
  Supplies of Gasoline were down 100,000 barrels
  Supplies of heating oil down 200,000 barrels.
  Refinery use rose from 86.9% to 87.5% of capacity last week.
  Gasoline demand rose 0.1% YoY
  Distillate demand fell 0.4% YoY