In addition to the Chinese Caixin Manufacturing PMI due out shortly, which will either confirm or deny Sunday's modest decline in the official Mfg PMI, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) decision (due at 2:30pm Sydney time) headlines the region’s risk events this week.
S&P futures were fractionally higher (+0.1% to 2,476) with all eyes on the Fed's rate decision as investors await another earnings deluge from companies including Facebook, Coca-Cola and Boeing. Asian and European shares were also higher, prompted by momentum from the latest US record high; the Dollar rebound continued while oil rose above $48 as copper hit a two year high.
Authored by Joe Hildebrand and John Adams via News.com.au,
AUSTRALIA has missed its chance to avoid a potential “economic apocalypse”, according to a former government guru who says that despite his warnings there are seven new signs we are too late to act.
This week will be all about rhe "Thursday Turmoil Trifecta" when the UK general election will be highlight of a busy week together with the ECB monetary policy meeting, while rounding off events in the US will be James Comey's first public testimony since he was fired by Donald Trump in which he is expected to testify that Trump pressured him to end the Russian probe into Mike Flynn.
Submitted by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,
Australians’ private debt has soared to 187 per cent of their income. Debt is up from about 70 per cent in the early 1990s.
The jobless rate rose for the second straight month in December to 5.8 per cent, and underemployment, the number of workers wanting more hours, is near an all-time high. Wage growth is the lowest on record.