Friday, May 16, 2008

Quick Overview

  • U.S. Home construction rose 8.2% in April, making the biggest increase in two years. However, the rise was driven by a surge in multifamily housing, while single-family starts dropped.

  • The University of Michigan said that its consumer sentiment index fell from 62.6 to 59.5 in May.

  • Japan's GDP rose 3.3% in the January to March quarter.

  • Canada’s retail sales rose 9.4%.

  • Hong Kong’s GDP speeded up in the first quarter, rising 1.8% from the previous quarter, and 7.1% YoY.

  • Freight cost for commodities such as iron ore and grains rose to a fresh all-time high Friday.

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