Quick Overview

• U.S. existing home sales fell 2.2% on the month -- weaker than expected.
  

• Business confidence in Germany dropped from 94.8 to 92.9 in September, the lowest in three years.
  

• Pressure to regulate the $62,000bn credit derivatives market mounted as the main US market regulator called on Congress to pass laws to supervise the industry
  

• The U.S. Department of Energy said:
  Supplies of crude oil fell 1.5 million barrels
  Supplies of gasoline fell 5.9 million barrels
  Supplies of heating oil rose 300,000 barrels.
  Refinery use fell from 77.4% to 66.7% of capacity
  Gasoline demand fell 3.5% YoY
  Distillate demand fell 5.5% YoY
  

• (Bloomberg) -- CME Group Inc., the world's largest futures exchange, will offer a steel contract beginning Oct. 19 after the rival London Metal Exchange introduced a similar product earlier this year.

• (Bloomberg) -- Barrick Gold Corp. Chairman Peter Munk said bullion prices will go higher, driven by large-scale buying by ``major, major'' holders of dollars who fear the effects of the U.S. government's bailout plan on the currency.