5 Things you Need to Know Before Trading

Stocks indexes in Asian trade took divergent paths. Shanghai gained more than one and a half percent and Australia was up a fraction, but the Hang Seng lost almost two percent and the Nikkei was down a fraction. European indexes are broadly lower on the day, with the Footsie down almost one percent and the Dax off by a third of a percent. US stock futures are down almost a half percent.

*The January reading of Australia’s Unemployment Rate was steady at 5.0%, as expected. But the net change in the number of employed was +24k, above the forecast for a gain of 17.5k.

*The December reading of Japan’s Machine Orders was +1.7% on a month on month basis, short of the expectation for a gain of 5.0%.

*The January reading of Switzerland’s Consumer Price Index was -0.4% on a monthly basis, twice the forecast decline and is +0.3% year on year, only half the expectation.

*The December reading of UK Industrial Production was up 0.5% from the month before, matching the estimate.

*The Bank of England held policy and rates steady at their policy meeting today.

*In their monthly bulletin editorial the ECB said that interest rates remain appropriate, but inflation warrants very close monitoring.

*The weekly report on Initial Jobless Claims is due out at 7:30am CST, it is expected to be 410k. The December reading of Wholesale Inventories is due out at 9:00am CST, it is forecast to increase 0.7%. The Treasury is set to announce their January Budget Statement at 1:00pm CST, it is expected to be a deficit of $55.0 billion, up from the year ago level of -$42..6 billion.

*The weekly report on Natural Gas inventories is due to be released at 9:30am CST, it is expected to be a decline of 196 bcf.

*Atlanta Fed’s Lockhart is again on the calendar today; he will participate on a panel about public debt and fiscal policy at 11:45am CST.

*The Treasury plans to sell $16 billion 30 Year Bonds today; the results of the auction will be announced just after noon CST.

*The New York Fed will release the next schedule for their Treasury buying habit at 1:00pm CST.

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