Japan to downgrade economic assessment in April report: Nikkei

Good Morning,

- U.S. Stocks rise as tech shares rebound amid earnings.

- U.S. stocks rose a second day, after equities posted the worst week since 2012, as earnings from Coca-Cola Co. and Johnson & Johnson overwhelmed concerns that tensions in Ukraine are worsening. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.3 percent, erasing an earlier drop of 1.9 percent after nearing its average price in the past 200 days. Coca-Cola gained 3.7 percent as global volume sales increased. Johnson & Johnson climbed 2.1 percent as the company raised its forecast for the year.

- US Equities: Dow Jones (+0.55%) at 16262.50, S&P (+0.68%) at 1842.98, NASDAQ (+0.29%) at 4034.16

- EUR/USD traded lower on Tuesday’s European trading session, due to a weaker than expected German ZEW economic sentiment number (43.2 from 46.3 expected), but quickly found buyers on the dip, showing its resilience once again. GBP/USD followed the same course on the release of the UK CPI data (1.6% as expected). It quickly fell to 1.6660 but quickly bounced back to reach 1.6750.

- Fed's Rosengren says “rates should depend on progress on dual mandate, & guidance should be 'highly' dependent on data, foreign shocks 'significant risk' to forecast, sees US GDP growth rate of 3% over next two years …and that “jobless rate at 5.25% is full employment and sees inflation returning slowly to 2%.”

- Fed Directors remained "cautiously optimistic" in March despite winter weather impact. Directors for Dallas, Philly and KC wanted hike to 1%.

- $USDUAH (dollar vs Ukranian Hryvnia) down a massive 6.3% following yesterday's rate hike from 6.5% to 9.5%.

- The Australian dollar fell considerably on Tuesday, down around 0.90% on the day, ahead of important Chinese data on Wednesday’s morning (GDP, industrial production). Traders were reluctant to push price higher than 0.9400 as Australia’s close trading ties with China would drag aud/usd lower on a poor Chinese GDP data. In addition, the Reserve Bank of Australia minutes released in the Tuesday’s morning offered nothing new to traders prompting them to take some profit off the table.

-Gunfire at east Ukraine airport as troops move in. An Associated Press reporter has heard heavy gunfire at an airport in eastern Ukraine after the government sent in army troops to retake control from pro-Russian militiamen. The mayor of Kramatorsk said Ukrainian troops have now occupied the military airport and are blocking its entrance.

-Japan to downgrade economic assessment in April report: Nikkei.

-Today’s earnings calendar includes Bank of America, Amex, Google and IBM.

- Watch movers for today: EZ CPI, CAD Rate Decision, CHF ZEW, US Building Permits, US Housing Starts.

Have a nice Day !