Weaker than Reuter’s median forecasts of +0.3%, -1.3% respectively. Previous month’s data, on the plus side, revised up quite a bit. November retail sales -0.4% m/m (prev -0.8%),  -1.5% y/y (prev -2.5%) I think we can label this particular series somewhat “volatile”

LONDON (MNI) – The dominant UK services sector saw growth surge in January which, following a robust performance by manufacturing, saw the first quarter get off to a very strong start and helps ease fears of a technical recession. The headline January CIPS/Markit services index rose to 56.0 from 54.0 in December, well above analysts’ [...]

Much better than expected and highest since march 2011, Cable’s gets a small lift on the release to  1.5838 from 1.5825

Speaking in a briefing with Germany’s Merkel in Guangzhou,

Important steps taken in last few months, failure is not an option Portuguese banks have shown remarkable resilience during crisis Solvency targets will be met by Portuguese banks, public backstop facility is available I love that phrase “Failure is not an option”

BERLIN (MNI) – The stiff budget consolidation program for Greece drawn up by the EU and the IMF has only made things worse, Peter Bofinger, a member of the German government’s Council of Independent Economic Advisers, criticized in a newspaper interview published Friday. The program for Greece “has been wrongly designed right from the beginning,” [...]

Not much different to yesterday’s comment but it’s adding a firmer tone to the EUR/USD We’re up around 1.3160 again

Slightly down from flash 50.5 after 48.8 in Dec Highest read for 5 months

Down from flash read of 54.5  Composite 53.9, down a  touch from flash 54.0.

Better than flash read of 51.7 and up from 50.3 in December. Highest read since August 2011. Composite 51.2, better than flash 50.9 and up from 50.0 in December. Also highest read since August 2011.

Slightly above 44.5 December read, but not as good as Reuter’s median forecast of 45.1.

EUR/USD roars as high as 1.3155.  Sources report some Middle Eastern buying.  That old chesnut, yawn… Presently at 1.3150. Unless we get above 1.3200 or below 1.3100 I just ain’t interested  

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Better than Reuter’s median forecast of 43.0 and highest read since July. EUR/USD sits at 1.3142 in comatose pre-nfp trade, up 6 pips since I parked my bum. So far, so good, so far, so good, so far, so good  ;)

BOJ could implement additional easing steps if economic risks materialise Japan likely to see trade surplus this year but fall back to deficit mid-decade Japan unlikely to post current account deficit in the near-term Loss of market trust in Japan govt bonds would have a massive impact Talks on boosting IMF firepower need to proceed [...]

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– See Separate Table For Details Of Individual Forecasts TOKYO (MNI) – Japan is expected to have posted a current account surplus of Y325.9 billion in December, down 72.8% on year, a tenth straight y/y decline after -85.5% in November and -62.4% in October, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by Market News [...]

–Other Public Institutions Could Also Take Haircuts FRANKFURT (MNI) – The Eurosystem is ready to participate in private sector-led debt relief for Greece by accepting haircuts on Greek bonds that were not purchased as part of the ECB’s Securities Market Programme (SMP), Financial Times Deutschland reported Friday citing EU sources. “A consensus has become apparent [...]

–Repeating Report 1st Transmitted 1625GMT Thursday By David Thomas & Nick Shamim LONDON (MNI) – Moody’s is in the process of assessing the stable outlook on France’s Aaa rating and will update the market during the first quarter of 2012 – in line with the report it issued on the country last October. “As indicated [...]

Everyone sits on their hands. The market hardly moves this morning as everyone waits for this afternoons’ non-farm payrolls release I sneak out early to get a haircut and get down the pub. By the time the nfp’s come out I’m on my second pint of guinness and couldn’t care a jot about forex The [...]