Macro Events & News

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European Outlook: The sell off in global stock markets continued in Asia overnight, With Japan underperforming and the Nikkei closing with a loss of -1.57% as a stronger Yen added to pressure from profit taking as the year end comes into view. Concern over the rout in China’s bond market and the sell off in global commodities underpinned the decline. Oil prices continued to slide overnight, with the front end WTI future currently just barely above the USD 55.0 per barrel level. China’s 10-year yields breached 4% for the first time in more than three years yesterday, and while they are back below the key level amid a wider decline in Asian yields, there are fears more is to come. Yields in the U.S. and Europe also declined yesterday and with stock futures heading south bonds are likely to remain sought. The calendar today has the final reading for French Nov HICP and Eurozone trade data, but the focus will be on U.K. labour market and wage date, with BoE’s Cunliffe stressing late yesterday that the central bank needs clear pay growth evidence before hiking again. There is supply from Germany, which auctions 10-year Bunds after already selling 2-year Schatz notes yesterday and ECB speakers are also on the schedule.

Japan’s GDP slowed to a 1.4% growth pace in Q3, nearly as expected  following a revised 2.6% gain in Q2 (was +2.5%). Consumption spending fell 0.5% in Q3 (q/q, sa) amid poor weather conditions, after a revised 0.7% gain in Q2 (was +0.8%). Business spending rose 0.2% in Q3 (q/q, sa) after the 0.5% gain in Q2. Net exports added to GDP. This was the seventh consecutive quarter of GDP growth. The deflator grew 0.1% (y/y, sa) in Q3 following the 0.4% drop in Q2 and 0.8% decline in Q1. There was a flat reading (0.0%) in Q4 of 2016 and a 0.1% dip in Q3 of 2016. Hence, this is the first expansion in the deflator since the 0.4% rise in Q2 of 2016. USDJPY has slipped to 113.22 from 113.40 going into the report’s release.

Main Macro Events Today

UK Average Earnings – Expectations –  a 2.1% y/y rise in the three months to September, and a 2.2% gain in the ex-bonus numbers that would still be lagging some way behind inflation.

UK Unemployment Rate – Expectations –  unchanged at the cycle low of 4.3% in September.

US Retail Sales – Expectations –   inching up 0.1% in October, with the ex-auto aggregate rising 0.3%  following gains of 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively in September, which were also impacted by the hurricanes. Production and manufacturing data will also be of interest.

US CPI – Expectations – rise to 0.1%m/m for October from 0.5% last month and with the core up 0.2% as energy prices moderate.

Charts of the Day

Support and Resistance Levels