South Korea's PMI rises, but little to cheer
Jan 05, 2016 02:32 am UTC| Commentary
Manufacturing PMI came in better than expected. The headline index posted 50.7 in Dec15, up from 49.1 in Nov15 and higher than the 50 level for the first time since Feb15. The improvement was primarily contributed by the...
Euro to end the year 2016 lower
Jan 04, 2016 22:12 pm UTC| Commentary
Although the EUR/USD equilibrium estimate is 1.16, the estimate drops to below parity if we take into account the large difference in the output gaps between the Eurozone and the US. The Eurozone inflation risks remain...

Jan 04, 2016 21:58 pm UTC| Commentary Central Banks
In a press release today, the Riksbank announced that it has taken the decision required to be able to instantly intervene on the foreign exchange market if necessary, as a complementary monetary policy measure. In...
US manufacturing contracts at its fastest pace in six years
Jan 04, 2016 17:40 pm UTC| Commentary
The second straight sub-50 ISM reading indicates that the US manufacturing sector may have slipped into recession. Leading indicators point to sustained near-term weakness. But as long as broader measures of economic...

Weak US construction spending lowers Q4 GDP tracking to 1.3%
Jan 04, 2016 17:21 pm UTC| Commentary
Construction spending came in decidedly weaker than expected in November, declining to 0.4% m/m against forecast (0.8%) and consensus (0.6%) expectations. The weaker-than-expected figures was driven by declines in...
U.S. manufacturing activity remains in contractionary territory in December
Jan 04, 2016 16:56 pm UTC| Commentary
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) manufacturing index edged down 0.4 points to 48.2 in December. The reading disappointed consensus expectations, which called for a slight pick up to 49.0. The details of the...
UK manufacturing PMI declines in December
Jan 04, 2016 16:11 pm UTC| Commentary
The December Manufacturing PMI declined by 0.6 points to 51.9, as expected and against consensus expectations, after a marginal downward revision to 52.5 in November. On a quarterly basis, the Manufacturing PMI rose by...