Europe

WTI crude prices are up almost 6% this morning with April (the new front-month) trading above $33.50 - testing post-DOE plunge stops. The irony of the ramp is that it comes amid terrible global PMIs (demand), a report from IEA of oil staying in glut for longer than expected (supply), and warnings from Abu Dhabi's biggest bank that $20 oil is possible. Oh well, we are sure the algos know what they are doing... despite veterans of the 1980s oil glut warning it could take 7 to 10 years to emerge from the current slump.

Until recently, ad blocking - the biggest threat to every Silicon Valley ad-driven business model - was largely a peripheral concern stemming from such companies as AdBlock, which was recently snapped up by a "mystery buyer" while ad-driven quasi-monopolies such as Google pay comparable adblockers to allow their ads through.

According to legal experts, the controversial transatlantic trade deal between the US and Europe could make it impossible for future governments to reverse the privatisation of parts of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) New Legal advice prepared by one of the UK’s leading QCs on European law for the Unite trade union, will reveal on Monday that it has been holding talks with the government about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal between Europe and the US.

With the UK's referendum on EU membership due in four months, it appears the market is gravely concerned about the possibility of Brexit. Despite the unleashing of Project Fear (both military and corporate fearmongery), cable (GBPUSD) has crashed 2.3% (the most in 7 years) to its lowest in 7 years, and both FX volatility and credit risk Brexit indicators are soaring to record highs.

Just as we warned, Friday's dubious gains have evaporated and cable is crashing to 7 years lows...

As Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid notes,

For the likes of Paul Krugman, the Riksbank provides a cautionary tale for central banks wary of committing so-called “policy mistakes.”

Back in 2010, the bank started to hike rates. That decision halted a decline in unemployment and shortly thereafter, it became apparent that “the rock star of the recovery had turned itself into Japan." Or so Krugman says.