U.S. Freight Carloads Weekly – March 18, 2011
U.S. railroads originated 392,164 carloads, up 1.5% compared with the same week in 2010 and down 3.7% compared with 5-year average. Week over week change was -2.9%.
Archive for March 18th, 2011
U.S. Natural Gas Weekly – March 18, 2011
Working gas in storage fell 56 Bcf from previous week. The consensus was at 42 Bcf.
Storage level is 3 Bcf higher than same time year ago.
Japanese nuclear disaster could be a game changer for natural gas as LNG cargoes bound for the U.S. could be diverted to Japan. This could clear the oversupply glut.
Daily Reading – Friday, March 18, 2011
*** Zero Hedge: Historical Precedent To Predict The Success Rate Of The G7 Yen Devaluation “Accord” ***
*** Zero Hedge: Fed Confirms First FX Market Intervention In 11 Years As Effects Start To Fizzle ***
*** FT Beyond BRICs: EM fund flows: backing off ***
*** FT Alphaville: Who’s been buying Japan like crazy? ***
*** FT Alphaville: Yen volatility is too much for one bank ***
*** FT Alphaville: Those European stress test details ***
*** FT Alphaville: The usual Portuguese bond gyrations ***
*** The Economist: Miracle, or delayed gratification? ***
*** Bloomberg: Sushi Restaurants Drop Japanese Fish From Menus as Radiation Concerns Grow ***
Libya Declares Immediate Ceasefire
Talking about strange twist of events… Markets not buying the story.
China Raises Bank Reserve Requirement for Third Time in 2011
China raised bank reserve requirement from 19.5% to 20% for large banks. I’m beginning to take kind of bearish stance on China because this sort of measures does not bode well for fixed-asset investment fueled economic growth.
Japan earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster nagative effect on Chinese manufacturing is also, in my opinion, widely underestimated.