QUICK OVERVIEW

• YoY in 2016 Japan's consumer prices dropped for the first time in four years  by 0.3 percent,  in a sign the country is still grappling with deflationary pressure despite the Bank of Japan (BOJ)'s numerous monetary easing measures 

• Trumps cancellation of the TPP means the rules for global commerce will increasingly be set by other nations -- not by the United States. More importantly, with the United States absent from RCEP, considerable trade will be diverted away from the US.

• The British economy grew at the fastest pace against any of its G7 peers in 2016, despite the second half of the year passing under the shadow of Brexit.  

• Spain's unemployment fell to 18.63%t at the end of 2016 as opposed to the 20.9% in 2015. 

• The DJIA on Wednesday closed above the psychological mark of 20,000 for the first time -- the other two major indices also finished at record highs, boosted by a batch of generally positive earnings reports. 

•  China's fiscal revenue grew 4.5 % YoY in 2016, to 15.96 trillion yuan (around 2.33 trillion U.S. dollars), according to preliminary figures released by the Ministry of Finance. 

• Trump has picked longtime Republican FCC Commissioner "and enemy" of net neutrality Ajit Pai to become FCC chairman. 

• The median home value in the U.S. is now $193,800, according to Zillow's December Real Estate Market Reports. Rents grew 1.5 percent annually to a $1,403 median monthly payment. 
•  U.S Existing-home sales ran at a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 5.49 million, down 2.8% from Nov. 
• Supply is at 1.65 million homes available, the lowest inventory since 1999. 
• At the current sales pace there is 3.6 months’ worth of Inventory. 

• Trump signs executive order to approve the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. 

• Israel approves plans for 2,500 new settlement homes in the West Bank 

• White House press secretary Sean Spicer. “The U.S. is going to make sure we protect our interests” in the South China Sea. 

• Japanese exports grew 5.4% in December. Fastest pace since Jul'15.