Sunday, March 02, 2014

QUICK OVERVIEW


  • (Bloomberg) The London gold fix, the benchmark used by miners, jewelers and central banks to value the metal, may have been manipulated for a decade by the banks setting it, researchers say. 
  • YoY Australia’s Gold production rose 18 metric tons to 273 tons in 2013, the highest annual output since 2003, Melbourne-based Surbiton said. 
  • Lower Sugar output in Brazil and India, the second-biggest producer, may spur the first global deficit in five years, F.O. Licht said. 
  • Macquarie estimates Sugar production costs in Asia Pacific, Australia and South Africa at 16 cents a pound or more; in Thailand and Central America at at least 18 cents a pound; in Brazil at 17-19 cents a pound; and in the European Union and India at 20-22 cents a pound.
  • Eurozone inflation stable at 0.8% in February 
  • Eurozone unemployment rate at 12 % in Jan. 
  • Eurozone economy grew 0.3 % in Q4


    • India's economic growth slows to 4.7% in Q4 
    • India’s inflation in Jan. fell to 5% 
    • The Indian state of Rajasthan has barred foreign direct investment in supermarkets 
    • India plans to withdraw from talks with Vodafone Group Plc to resolve a nearly $2 billion tax dispute. 
    • Finnish handset major Nokia warned that its Chennai (India) factory may shut down unless a Rs 21,153 core tax issue is resolved.
    • Italy's unemployment rate rose to 12.9% 
    • Italy's economy grew by 0.1% in Q4 


      • The preliminary reading of the U.S. consumer sentiment index in February held steady at 81.2 
      • U.S. industrial production fell 0.3% in January the first decline since July 2013 due to severe weather. 
      • Chicago PMI unexpectedly accelerates in February to 59.8 


        • Japan's unemployment rate stands at 3.7% in January 
        •  Japan's consumer prices rose 1.3 % in January   
        • British construction output rose 1.3% in 2013 
        • January inflation rose by 0.2 % in Spain 
        • Australia's unemployment rate rose to 6.0 % in Jan.
        • China's inflation rose 2.5 % in January 
        •  China's January PPI fell 1.6% 
        • Global soybean ending stocks rose to 73.01 mmt, up from 72.33 mmt in January and above trade expectations of 72.67 mmt 
        • Global corn stocks fell to 157.30 mmt, down from 160.23 last month and trade expectations of 159.60 mmt 
        • Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc added to his stake in financial giant Goldman Sachs.
        •  Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) raised its Quarterly dividend 3.7% to $.84 per share, up from $.81 per share in 2013. This is the 42nd consecutive year Kimberly-Clark has raised its dividend and the 80th straight year the company has paid dividends.

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