Quick Overview

• The total cost of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the U.S. Treasury will run at least $3.7 trillion and could reach as high as $4.4 trillion, according to the research project "Costs of War" by Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies.

• U.S Pending home sales rose 8.2% in May.
• U.S. mortgage applications decreased 2.7% in the week ending June 24, 2011.

• Greek parliament votes in favor of fresh sweeping austerity measures.

• MoM industrial production in Japan rose 5.7 % in May.

• Chinas pork prices kept their bull run in the week ended June 26 with an increase of 4.5% WoW

• (MarketWatch)The DOE reported a decline of 4.4 million barrels in crude inventories for the week ended June 24. Analysts polled by Platts had expected a decline around 1.7 million barrels. The EIA reported gasoline stocks down 1.4 million barrels, against expectations of an increase of 700,000 barrels. Supplies of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, increased 300,000 barrels, the EIA said. The analysts surveyed had seen an addition of 1.8 million barrels.

• Imports of nickel ores and concentrate by China climbed to a record in May as nickel pig iron producers ramped up output to meet demand from stainless steel makers.

• China exported 175,400 tonnes of stainless steel flat products, up by 21.7% MoM.

• Chinese premier Wen Jiabao pledged China's support for the embattled euro, saying that China will buy Hungarian government bonds and "consistently" support the euro as Europe attempts to fight its way out of a sovereign debt crisis, reported London's Daily Telegraph.

• The economic sentiment indicator for the EU 17 fell by 0.4 points to 105.1.

• The New Jersey Senate voted 33-1 today to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking), in a move to protect the Delaware River from potential contamination from the risky unconventional gas drilling practice. The Delaware River supplies drinking water for 15 million people in four states. 

• (Barrons 6/29/2011) China has 446 million hogs—more than the next 43 pork-producing countries combined—and consumes 50% of the world's pork supply each year.