Thursday, May 07, 2009

Quick Overview

  • (Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank President Jean- Claude Trichet said the ECB unanimously agreed on a 60 billion- euro ($80.5 billion) plan to buy bonds as officials step up their response to the worst recession since World War II.

  • (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve determined that 10 U.S. banks need to raise a total of $74.6 billion in capital, concluding its unprecedented probe of the health of the nation’s 19 largest lenders.

  • U.S. jobless claims fell 34,000 last week to 601,000.

  • U.S. non-farm productivity rose 0.8% QoQ and 1.8% YoY.

  • U.S. Unit labor costs rose 2.4%. The # of hours worked in the first quarter fell 9%.

  • Denmark lowered the benchmark interest rate by 0.35% to a record low 1.65%

  • Australia’s unemployment rate improved from 5.7% to 5.4%

  • The ECB lowered its interest rate from 1.25% to 1.00%.

  • England kept its interest rate unchanged at 0.50%.

  • Obama aims to cut $17bn from next year's budget, saying he had found examples of "stunning" waste.

  • China's main ports received 15.3 million tonnes or 3.72 million barrels per day of imported crude oil in April -- up 9% YoY.

  • China has approved a plan to set up 10 million tonnes of refined fuel reserves by 2011 -- about two weeks of current consumption.

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