Archive For "December, 2011"

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices were mildly positive on Friday in quiet trading with some month-end buying likely. Yields on 10-year notes , which move inversely to prices, slipped for a fourth day by 1 basis point to 1.89%. “Ten-year yields are decidedly below 2% and near the low-end of the November-December range, consistent with an ongoing flight-to-quality underpinning for Treasurys,” said bond strategists at CRT Capital Group. “More germane to Treasurys today however are year-end and related flows.” The bond market is expected to close early ahead of a three-day weekend. The only U.S. event of the day is the Federal Reserve’s release of its schedule of Treasury buybacks and sales for the next month as part of a program known as “Operation Twist.”

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — European leaders will get a grip on the euro zone’s long-running debt crisis by the end of 2012, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper in an interview published Friday. “I think that in the next 12 months we will have avoided the danger of contagion and will have stabilized the euro zone,” Schaeuble said. Schaeuble ruled out a breakup of the euro, saying euro-zone leaders would do everything possible to avoid such a scenario.

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — The average British house price fell 0.2% in December to 163,822 pounds ($252,515), but increased by 1% over the course of 2011, U.K. mortgage lender Nationwide said Friday. “The 1% rise in house prices recorded over the past 12 months could hardly be described as a strong performance, but against a backdrop of anemic economic growth and a deteriorating labor market, U.K. house prices were surprisingly resilient in 2011,” said Robert Gardner, Nationwide chief economist. Prices are likely to move sideways to modestly lower in 2012 amid the ongoing crisis in the euro zone, Britain’s largest trading partner, and deteriorating labor market conditions, elevated spending and continued austerity measures in the U.K., he said.

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — The U.S. dollar edged downward in East Asian trading hours Friday, with the Japanese yen rising and the euro mostly flat. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. unit against six other currencies, fell to 80.394, down from 80.425 in late North American moves Thursday. The yen rose, with the dollar sliding to ¥77.55 from ¥77.63, while the euro was fractionally lower at $1.2942, compared to $1.2949 late Thursday. The British pound changed hands at $1.5413, almost flat from $1.5412 Thursday.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices turned down slightly and the dollar further pared gains against the euro Thursday as U.S. stocks extended a rise and a report showed pending home sales in the U.S. jumped far more than expected in November. A report on manufacturing around Chicago also surprised to the upside. The euro traded at $1.2824, after touching a 15-month low and from $1.2938 in late North American trade Wednesday. The dollar index , which measures the currency against six major currencies, traded at 80.509, from 80.526 Wednesday. Yields on 10-year notes , which move inversely to prices, turned up 1 basis point to 1.93%.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices held onto gains and the dollar pared its advance slightly on Thursday after a report showed U.S. jobless claims rose more than expected to 381,000 in the latest week, though analysts noted the data series tends to be more volatile around year-end. The euro fell to a 15-month low and recently traded at $1.2888, from $1.2878 before the report and $1.2938 in late North American trade Wednesday. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against six major currencies, traded at 80.698, from 80.761 prior to the report and up from 80.526 Wednesday. Yields on 10-year notes , which move inversely to prices, stayed down 1 basis point to 1.92%.

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday said it was a relief that the spread between German and Italian 10-year benchmark bonds has narrowed since November, but warned that market volatility could persist, news reports said. Monti, speaking at an end-of-year news conference in Rome, said debt auctions conducted Wednesday and Thursday “went rather well, but the financial turbulence isn’t over,” Reuters reported. Italy sold 7.02 billion euros ($9.1 billion) of various bonds on Thursday, with a sale of 10-year bonds producing a yield of 6.98%, down from a euro-era high of 7.56% in late November.

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — Italy sold another round of government bonds Thursday, with yields falling for 2014 and 2022 debt, news reports said. Italy raised a total of around 7 billion euros ($9 billion) of various bonds. The government had planned to raise between 5 billion and 8.5 billion euros. Italy paid a yield of 5.62% to sell new three-year debt, down sharply from 7.89% in an auction last month, Reuters reported, while 10-year bonds were sold at a yield of 6.98%, down from 7.56% in a late November auction.

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — The broadest measure of money-supply growth in the euro zone slowed sharply in November along with private-sector lending activity, data showed Thursday. The European Central Bank said M3 money supply grew at an annual pace of 2% in November, down from 2.6% in October. Economists had forecast a growth rate of 2.5%. Loans to the private sector showed annual growth of 1.7%, down from 2.7% in October. The three-month average of the annual M3 growth rates in the September-November period decreased to 2.5% from 2.8% in the August-October period.

… is now in your dashboard!

We will not be trading today as there are only two days left in 2011 and markets are whisper thin, meaning even slight rumors could whip you out of a position right now. We have updated all PRO Analysis pairs with new S/R charts and aggressive setups for you brave traders who are looking to trade these thin markets.

Signals will resume again Tuesday, January 3rd and we will embark on yet another year together! Thanks for making PipHut the #1 forex community year after year – we would be lost without you all :). CandlePRO and PRO S/R Breaks and Bounces will continue to work as normal and S/R charts will be updated for PRO members.

See you in 2012!