25.03.14

Good morning,

Asian markets so far this week have seen Aussie dollar strength where the AUDUSD advanced to a 0.9157 yearly high against the USD this session. Chinese markets and speculation that reforms are about to take place there, having led to Copper gaining nearly 1% up to 2.975 from 2.946 at the open.

The NIKKEI was trading at 14423.19 down 52.11 points or minus 0.36%

The Group of 8 summit scheduled to take place in Sochi is in doubt after the remaining members bar Russia have announced they will hold talks in Brussels in June without Russia in attendance. This is in response to the annexation of the Crimea region of the Ukraine and this has led to focus on GAS prices in the region, and possibility of further economic sanctions should tensions escalate further. ECB President Mario Draghi is scheduled to speak later this afternoon, while the UK releases a range of data which includes their DPI figures for Feb.

The FTSE100 closed at 6520.39 down 36.78 or minus 0.56% while the DAX closed at 9188.77 down 154.17 points or minus 1.65%

The US Consumer Confidence figures along with Redbook Index data are due out this session, while USOIL was trading at 99.75 dollars per barrel. EURUSD was trading at 1.3837 this session. With no major fundamental US data until tomorrow when the data from the Bank Stress Test Info which gives a health check on US banks, and the Durable Goods Orders figures for February.

The DOW closed at 16276.69 up 26.08 points an increase of 0.16%

Hope you all have a good day.