USD fell to a new daily low against the Yen

- The US Dollar fell to a new daily low against the Japanese Yen, as a rise in pending home sales failed to meet expectations. The pending sales of existing US homes were reported 0.2% higher in November, which was the first positive change seen in six months, but the release still disappointed expectations for a 1.0% rise. Also released a half hour after the pending home sales, the Dallas Fed reported that manufacturing activity fell to 3.1 in December, disappointing expectations for 4.0 and better than the 1.9 manufacturing index reported for November.

- Eurozone retail sales continue to decline in December. Markit’s final batch of eurozone retail PMI® data for 2013 signalled an overall decline in sales for the fourth month running. The rate of decline remained modest but accelerated slightly, reflecting a sharper contraction in France and slower growth in Germany. The overall decline would have been stronger were it not for a marked easing the rate of contraction in Italy, where the retail PMI hit a 33-month high.

- Aussie Poised for Monthly, 2013 Loss With 85 U.S. Cents in View. Australia’s dollar was poised for a second monthly drop and its biggest annual slide since 2008 as policy makers emphasized a weaker currency to kick-start growth. The Aussie has dropped against 14 of its 16 major peers this year, recording the biggest declines against the Danish krone, euro and Swiss franc.

-Schaeuble sees first signs of European money supply declining. Low rate policies can’t last forever. Signs of falling money supply at any other time could be seen as having a tightening effect on rates, however it comes against a backdrop of plenty of liquidity in the market via the ECB LTRO’s. It should be seen as further evidence of a lack of money filtering through to the economy and one aspect the ECB want to target with any further LTRO’s.

- Global stocks say au revoir to a successful 2013. lobal stocks are closing out 2013 sitting on sizable gains courtesy of super-easy monetary policies and an improving economic outlook, though some emerging markets have less to crow about as funds return to rich-world assets. The yen remained on the defensive, having been bowled over for much of the year by the Bank of Japan's money-printing, while the euro was again proving surprisingly resilient.

- Greece will leave bailout scheme in 2014, says prime minister. Greece will exit its bailout program next year without needing a third aid package, the country's prime minister announced on Monday as he insisted that citizens could look to 2014 with confidence. Antonis Samaras told long-suffering Greeks that the end of the country's financial assistance plan was in sight, after almost four years of painful austerity, and that the new year would bring the prospect of normality.

- Venezuela's Inflation Rate Is 56%.enezuela's inflation soared to 56.2 percent in 2013 but slowed in the last two months of the year after the socialist government forced stores to cut prices, officials said Monday.

-London Home Prices to Lead Gains Again in 2014, Hometrack Says. In 2013, prices jumped 4.4 percent, rebounding from a 0.3 percent decline the previous year. London and the southeast registered the highest growth, up 9.1 percent and 5 percent respectively. Prices in northern England fell 0.5 percent. “The strongest market conditions and impetus for price inflation is set to remain focused on southern England,” Hometrack said.

- Watch movers for today: US home prices, Chicago PMI, cons. confidence