QUICK OVERVIEW

• U.S. Real average hourly earnings rose 0.3 % for year ending March 2017

• CPI rose 2.4 % over the 12 months ending March 2017

• Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose by 10,000 last week to 244,000.

• Unemployment rates decline in 274 metropolitan areas over the year ending February 2017

• Camden and Dallas had highest percent increases in employment for year ended February 2017

• U.S Producer Price Index for final demand goods increased 4.0% over the year ending March 2017 

•  One-third of Americans say real estate is best long-term investment.  Residents of the West, men especially confident in real estate Stocks rank second, with strongest support from higher-income adults.

• U.S. Mar housing starts fell -6.8% to 1.215 million, weaker than expected.

• Mar building permits rose +3.6% to 1.26 million, stronger than expectations of +2.8%.

• U.S. Mar manufacturing production unexpectedly fell -0.4%, weaker than expexted, and the biggest decline in 7 months.

• U.S. Mar industrial production rose +0.5%, as expected.

• Mar capacity utilization rose +0.4 to 76.1%, as expected..

• The IMF raised its 2017 global GDP forecast to 3.5% from a Jan estimate of 3.4%.

• China Retail Sales (Mar) 10.9% YoY vs 9.7% expected, 10.9% prior

• China Industrial Prod (Mar) 7.6% YoY vs 6.3% expected, 6.0% prior

• Since October, about 89,000 workers in general merchandise stores have lost their jobs, which is more than the number of people employed in the entire US coal industry

• Exhaust cleaning scrubbers will be the cheapest way for larger ships to comply with the 2020 International Maritime Organizations (IMO) 0.5pc sulfur cap on marine fuels, according to BP

• 4/21/2017,  is  the first time since the lights came on, the UK has gone 24 hours without coal-fired generation..
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