Forex News from InstaForex

[IFX Darika]

The International Monetary Fund took a major step on Monday towards a more than ten-fold increase in the size of its primary credit facility to $550 billion and also reformed the fund's standing credit arrangement into a more flexible and effective tool of crisis management.

It responds to the call by the leaders of the G20 nations to increase the financing available to the fund, by expanding the IMF's New Arrangements to Borrow or NAB, which currently stands at about $50 billion.

The NAB is supplementary to the IMF's quota-based resources and is only called upon to forestall or cope with an impairment of the international monetary system.

Thirteen new countries, including the likes of China, India, Russia and Brazil, will now contribute to the lender's NAB, in addition to the 26 predominantly developed nations.

"The expansion and enlargement of the NAB borrowing arrangements provides a very strong multilateral foundation for the fund's efforts in crisis prevention and resolution, as an essential back-stop to the fund's quota resources," said IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

"This will help ensure that the fund has access to adequate resources to help members that are vulnerable to financial crises."

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[IFX Svetlana]

Thursday morning, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released its report on regional manufacturing activity in the month of April, showing that the expansion in the manufacturing sector is continuing for the eighth consecutive month.

The Philly Fed said its index of activity in the manufacturing sector rose to 20.2 in April from 18.9 in March, with a positive reading indicating growth in the sector. With the increase, the index came in slightly above economist estimates for a reading of 20.0.

A faster pace of new orders growth contributed to the improvement in the sector, as the new orders index rose to 13.9 in April from 9.3 in March.

On the other hand, the shipments index slipped to 5.6 in April from 13.6 in the previous month, although it remained positive.

The report also showed a notable increase by the inventories increase, which rose to a positive 2.0 in April from a negative 11.0 in March, indicating a turnaround in inventories. The inventories index has now recorded positive readings in two of the last three months.

The Philly Fed also said that firms' responses continue to suggest that labor market conditions are improving, although the number of employees index slipped to 7.3 in April from 8.3 in March.

With regard to inflation, the report showed that the prices paid index rose to 42.7 in April from 38.6 in March, while the prices received index edged up to a positive 1.0 in April from a negative 0.4 in the previous month.

Looking ahead, the future general activity index fell to 44.2 in April from 52.0 in March, but it remained positive for the sixteenth consecutive month.

"Bottom line," said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist for Miller Tabak, "manufacturing remains the key source of strength in this recovery and today's data confirms that."

Earlier in the day, a report released by the New York Federal Reserve showed that conditions for New York State manufacturers improved at a rapid pace in April, with the regional index of activity in the sector rising by much more than economists had expected.

The New York Fed said its general business conditions index jumped to 31.9 in April from 22.9 in March, with a positive reading indicating growth in the manufacturing sector. Economists had been expecting a much more modest increase to a reading of 24.0.


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[IFX Svetlana]

Standard & Poor's lowered its 2010 growth forecast for Italy on Tuesday citing feeble demand, weak capital spending and export prospects.

The rating agency cut the growth forecast to 0.5% from a previous 0.7%, reports said. Looking ahead, S&P forecast the economy to grow 1% next year, which is half of what is seen for the Eurozone as a whole.

Feeble consumer demand on the back of falling earnings, anemic capital spending because of damaged corporate profitability and export prospects penalized by weak competitiveness are holding the economy in check, the rating agency was quoted as saying in a report that made no reference to ratings. S&P expects any return to growth in 2010 to be modest.

The Italian economy contracted 0.3% sequentially in the fourth quarter following the 0.5% growth in the third quarter, when the economy ended five quarters of negative GDP. The statistical office is due to release the preliminary estimate of first quarter GDP on May 12.

Interim forecast from the European Commission showed 0.4% growth for the Italian economy in the first three months of this year. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in an interim assessment recently that the economy likely grew 1.2% in the first three months of the year. The economy is forecast to expand 0.5% in the second quarter.


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[IFX Svetlana]

Germany's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Monday that the German parliament is expected to approve a bill on financial aid for Greece before May 19, when the debt-ridden country holds next debt auction.

After a meeting with parliamentary leaders, the minister said German lawmakers have signaled their basic willingness to get the bill approved to defend the stability of the euro.

He said the bill will be presented before the parliament only when Greece concludes its talks with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Schaeuble expects Athens to reach in a conclusion this weekend.

Eurozone members have pledged to provide up to EUR 30 billion loan for Greece, of which Germany's contribution would be EUR 8.4 billion, the largest. Meanwhile, France pledged to provide EUR 6.3 billion from its 2010 fiscal budget. IMF's contribution is expected to be between EUR 10 billion to EUR 15 billion.

Elsewhere, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country is ready to provide financial assistance to Greece, if Athens takes "tough measures" for next several years to cut budget deficit.

On Sunday, Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said his country is soon expected to conclude negotiations with the IMF.

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the Fund, the European partners, and everyone involved in the financing effort recognizes the need for speed to activate the rescue package and talks will be ended in time to meet Greece's needs.


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[IFX Svetlana]

The average monthly total cash earnings per regular employee in Japan rose 0.8% year-over-year to JPY 275,637 in March, data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed Friday. That was the first annual increase in twenty-two months. In February, earnings fell by a revised 0.6%.

Overtime pay growth accelerated to 11.7% from February's 8.1% as overtime work increased in factories.

Adjusted for inflation, the average total earnings grew 2.1% year-on-year following an increase of 0.6% in February. Earnings grew for the third successive month.

On a quarterly basis, the downturn in wage eased in the first quarter. Total cash earnings in the first quarter fell just 0.1% annually, compared to the 4.1% drop in the final quarter of 2009.

BNP Paribas economist Azusa Kato said the slowdown in quarterly wage fall was due to the narrowed negative margin on scheduled earnings and rebound of non-scheduled earnings to positive growth. "Consumption is picking up due to more than just fiscal stimulus, as household sentiment is improving because the worst seems to be over for both employment employee wages," the economist said.


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[IFX Darika]

Asia-Pacific nations should employ capital controls to moderate short-term capital inflows that created asset bubbles and inflationary pressures in the region's developing countries, a UN agency said Thursday.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, or ESCAP, also urged governments to increase their social spending to consolidate the region's stronger-than-anticipated economic rebound.

"Governments must embrace this opportunity to secure the gains of the economic rebound by investing in social programs that directly benefit people hardest hit by the crisis," Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ESCAP said.

The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2010, an annual publication of ESCAP, points out that while monetary tightening may be necessary to rein in inflationary pressures, policy makers must be cautious about withdrawing fiscal stimulus packages, as an early exit would disrupt the fledgling recovery process.

According to the Survey, even at the height of this crisis, Asia and the Pacific was still the fastest growing region in the world, supported mostly by fiscal stimulus packages adopted by the region's biggest economies. The Survey finds that the outlook for 2010 has improved significantly, with Asia-Pacific region's developing economies forecast to grow by 7%, led by China 9.5%, and India 8.3%.

The Survey states that the governments have to re-balance the region with greater regional consumption through increased intra-regional trade, accelerating the development of an Asia-Pacific consumer market.

The Survey also recommends that Asia and the Pacific increase efforts to create a more integrated and sustained regional market, benefiting both national economies and a larger consumer class.

Increased social spending directly supports income security for households by providing food security, education and access to health care, reducing the need by poorer families to maintain precautionary savings to protect against adversity. These families will then able to contribute more to local economies and invest more in their own development, the survey stated.

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[IFX Darika]

In early European deals on Friday, the U.S. dollar registered strong gains against other major currencies as traders seek refuge in safe-haven currencies on the back of a decline in stock markets on debt crisis in Europe. The dollar rose to near a 1-1/2-year high against the euro, near 1-year high against the franc and more than a 1-year high against the pound.

On the flip side, the dollar pared recent gains against the yen due to across the board rallying of the Japanese currency.

In the upcoming hours, traders will be focusing on economic reports such as the U.S. advance retail sales, capacity utilization, industrial production reports- all for April, University of Michigan's preliminary consumer confidence index for May and the business inventories for March.

Friday in early European deals, the U.S. dollar inched higher against the euro. The dollar rose to near a 1-1/2- year high of 1.2434 against the euro at 5:55 am ET, from a low of 1.2577 hit at 3:00 am ET. On the upside, the dollar may target around the 1.233 level. At present, the greenback is trading at 1.244 against the euro, compared to yesterday's close of 1.2534.

Rising from a low of 1.1155 hit at 1:35 am ET, the dollar rose to near a 1-year high of 1.1268 against the franc at 5:55 am ET. The dollar-franc pair, which was worth 1.1179 at yesterday's close, is now worth 1.1244. On the upside, 1.197 is seen as the target level for the US currency.

The dollar rose to more than a 1-year high of 1.4507 against the pound at 6:00 am ET. As of now, the dollar is trading at 1.4507, compared to yesterday's close of 1.4612. If the dollar gains further, it may target the 1.400 level.

The dollar pared its recent gains against the Japanese currency. Moving down from a high of 93.10 against the yen hit at 2:40 am ET, the dollar fell to a 3-day low of 92.27 at 5:40 am ET. If the dollar weakens further, it may target around the 88.00 level. Currently, the dollar is trading at 92.37 against the yen.

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[Mike]

Dang! what about this guy?
lol!

Alas, the youth and future of America

[IFX Darika]

Financial markets are really out of control and there is an urgent need for effective regulation, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble said in an interview to the Financial Times newspaper.

"I'm convinced the markets are really out of control," Schauble said in the interview published on Thursday. "That is why we need really effective regulation, in the sense of creating a properly functioning market mechanism."

Markets would not function properly if the risks and rewards are "completely unbalanced", the minister said. He also pointed out the need for transparency and standardization of products. "We need transparency for all market participants," he said.

Further, Schauble said over-the counter transactions must be regulated and attention must be paid to the ratio of financial transactions to the real exchange of goods and services. "They bear no relationship to each other," the minister said.

"We need new financial instruments to cope with the huge financial tasks that we face," Schauble said. "But, forgive my saying so, minimum profits of 25 per cent are simply unimaginable in the real economy. It isn't healthy."

According to the German finance minister, it is "very likely" that there would be no agreement on the adoption of a global financial transaction tax at the G20 summit in Canada in June. However, efforts would be made to see if such a tax can be implemented at a European level, he told the daily.

Late Tuesday, Germany's financial regulator BaFin banned short selling of debt securities by euro zone countries as well as shares of 10 large German financial institutions and insurance companies. Regulator also banned naked short-selling of Credit Default Swaps. The move took markets by surprise.

Germany has "a role as a locomotive", Schauble said, yet it will keep trying to reduce deficit and boost employment. Eurozone members with largest budget and trade deficits need more fundamental structural reforms to make themselves more competitive, he said. "Spain, for example, must solve its labor market problem."

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[cooltrader28]

i like the girl in the avatar

[cutter]

Dang! what about this guy?
lol!

Ha, I saw this pic on the main forum page, I had to click it... what the hell is wrng with some people?

[cutter]

i like the girl in the avatar

Yea they are nice aren't they?

[IFX Darika]

The global economic recovery is building steam led by strong growth in Asia although considerable risks remain, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says. Its latest economic outlook report projected gross domestic product across OECD countries to rise by 2.7% this year and by 2.8% in 2011. In its last forecast in November, the OECD region was forecast to rise by 1.9% in 2010. The global economy is predicted to grow 4.6% this year.

In the U.S., activity is projected to rise by 3.2% this year and by a further 3.2% in 2011. Euro area growth is forecast at 1.2% this year and 1.8% next while, in Japan, GDP is expected to expand by 3% in 2010 and by 2% in 2011. The U.S. unemployment rate is expected to average 9.7% in 2010 before falling to 8.9% in 2011. The eurozone unemployment rate is forecast to average 10.1% both this year and the next.

"This is a crucial time for the world economy," said OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria. "Coordinated international efforts prevented the recession from becoming more severe but we continue to face huge challenges. Many OECD countries need to reconcile support to a still fragile recovery with the need to move to a more sustainable fiscal path."

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[IFX Svetlana]

The financial stability of the euro area amid bad fiscal policy in certain member countries is the key issue the currency bloc is currently facing and not the value of the euro, the European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday.

"The euro is a very credible currency which keeps its value," Trichet said, according to the text of an interview with French daily Le Monde, which was published on the ECB website. "The issue is that of financial stability within the euro area on account of bad fiscal policy in certain countries, in particular Greece."

"It is imperative that this be corrected," the policy maker said, adding that fiscal policies in large countries such as Germany, France and Italy were also not exceptions. He blamed fiscally challenged economies for terribly neglecting close multilateral surveillance, which was fundamental according to the stability and growth pact.

When asked about the prevailing nervousness in financial markets, despite a massive rescue plan, Trichet said investors would take some time to regain confidence and sentiment would be restored gradually. "The measures are so significant in terms of both their nature and their scale that there is no doubt that they will have a positive effect on the markets," he said.

The ECB chief said the mechanism to stabilize markets is taking place properly. He noted that the speed at which parliamentary decisions were taken in countries facing fiscal problems was "remarkable". Trichet ruled out Eurozone debt restructuring programme saying that it is substantially low compared to that of the U.S., Japan and the U.K.

The policy maker also denied any Anglo-Saxon conspiracy against the euro. "I simply believe that some international investors struggle to understand Europe and its decision-making mechanisms," he said. "They have difficulty in gauging the historical size of the European construction and in anticipating the capacity of Europeans to take decisions that are just as important as those taken a few days ago."

Further, he called for the establishment of the equivalent of a fiscal union in the euro area in terms of monitoring and supervising the implementation of policies on public finances. He expressed confidence that a quantum leap would be possible if Europe exploit everything the treaties, seen as the starting point of the fiscal union, permit and greatly improve the secondary legislation from Brussels.

Regarding the euro, Trichet said it is a credible currency which inspires confidence, the most important ingredient for the consolidation of Europe's economic recovery. Since its introduction eleven and a half years ago, average annual inflation has been below but close to 2%, in line with the ECB's definition of price stability. The euro's capacity to maintain its value is absolutely essential for the confidence of investors both inside and outside the euro area, he asserted.

With regard to economy, Trichet said recent data suggest economic growth in the second quarter would be slightly higher than expected. However, he urged caution as the region's future growth depends on the ECB policy makers' ability to strengthen confidence as quickly as possible.

Trichet repeated that the ECB is completely independent of governments and pressure groups of any kind. He reaffirmed that the interventions were aimed to enable certain markets to function more normally and that all the liquidity injected through these interventions will be absorbed.

Also on Monday, speaking at the 38th economic conference of Austria's central bank, Trichet said the ECB is not printing money. He reiterated the bank's commitment to preserve its primary objective of maintaining price stability.


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[IFX Svetlana]

Japan's current account surplus increased in April from the previous year mainly due to a larger surplus in the trade gap, an official report showed on Tuesday. Separate data released today showed that during May, bank lending in Japan recorded the sharpest annual fall in nearly five years.

The Ministry of Finance said the current account surplus surged 88% year-on-year to JPY 1.24 trillion from JPY 660.6 billion in the previous year. The surplus, however, came in slightly below economists' expectations for a JPY 1.30 trillion surplus and was well below March's surplus of JPY 2.53 trillion.

A trade surplus of JPY 859.1 billion was recorded in April compared to the JPY 167.1 billion surplus a year ago. This was driven by growth in exports outpacing that of imports. Exports surged 42.7% annually to JPY 5.58 trillion, while imports grew 26.1% to JPY 4.72 trillion.

The surplus in the goods & services account stood at JPY 433.6 billion, in contrast to the JPY 260.9 billion deficit in the previous year. At the same time, the deficit in the current transfers account narrowed slightly to JPY 137.6 billion from JPY 138.4 billion in the previous year.

The income account surplus decreased to JPY 946 billion in April from JPY 1.06 trillion a year ago. The deficit in the services account was broadly unchanged at JPY 425.5 billion.

Meanwhile, the surplus in the capital & financial account decreased to JPY 49.3 billion from JPY 275.8 billion in the previous year. The financial account surplus shrank to JPY 72.8 billion from JPY 293.4 billion a year ago. This was largely due to other investment deficit rising to JPY 6.38 trillion from JPY 2.57 trillion last year.

Separately, the Bank of Japan announced that bank lending was down 2.1% year-on-year in May, marking its sharpest decline since August 2005. Standing now at JPY 396.12 trillion, it follows a revised 1.9% contraction in April.

Including trusts, bank lending was down 2% to JPY 458.75 trillion following the 1.8% decline in the previous month. By themselves, lending from trusts was down 1.3% annually in May to JPY 62.6 trillion.

The central bank also revealed that M2 money supply climbed 3.1% annually to JPY 777.2 trillion in May, slightly higher than forecasts for a 2.8% increase following the 2.9% gain in April. The M3 money stock was up 2.3% to JPY 775.1 trillion, exceeding expectations for a 2.1% increase following the 2.2% gain in the previous month. The L money stock climbed 2% annually to JPY 1.46 trillion.

Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan is naming his cabinet today and he is due to be formally sworn in by Emperor Akihito. Deputy Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been named as the new Finance Minister, a post left vacant by Kan. Noda is thought to favor spending cuts and fiscal consolidation to rein in Japan's large public debt level, which is the highest in the industrialized world.

Kan was elected prime minister by lawmakers on Friday, two days after the resignation of Yukio Hatoyama. The former prime minister stepped down over a broken election pledge to move a controversial U.S. military base out of the island of Okinawa.


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[IFX Svetlana]

Eurozone industrial production rose more than expected in April, giving a good start to the second quarter and offering hope that industry will make strong contribution to economic growth despite the region's fiscal woes.

The seasonally adjusted industrial output rose 0.8% on a monthly basis in April, slightly slower than March's revised increase of 1.5%, figures released by Eurostat showed Monday. But, production grew more than the expected 0.6% rise.

On an annual basis, industrial production rose 9.5%, the biggest increase since the series started in 1991. That was also above the expected growth of 8.6%. It followed a revised 7.7% increase recorded in April.

"April's Eurozone industrial production figures suggest that the recovery in the sector continues at a decent pace, despite the fiscal crisis in the region," said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics. The economist noted that today's figure will give a solid start to the second quarter and underlines expectations that industry will lead growth. However, Loynes expressed doubt on whether the recovery in the euro area industrial sector will help the weakest economies in the region to cope with the coming fiscal squeeze.

Details of data showed that production of intermediate goods grew by 2.2% month-on-month and that of capital goods rose by 1.1%. Durable consumer goods output fell by 0.1% and production of energy declined by 0.9%. Production of non-durable consumer goods dropped by 1.2%.

Eurozone industrial sector is benefiting from recent improvement in global economic activity and the weak euro. "The manufacturing sector has been the leading light of the Eurozone economy so far in 2010, benefiting from improved domestic and, especially, export demand as well as inventory rebuilding," IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer said.

However, the recent weakening in the Eurozone manufacturing sector as suggested by the purchasing managers' index indicates that the Eurozone debt crisis has started denting on economic activity. The index in May fell to a three-month low as output and new order growth slowed sharply.

Industrial production in EU27 rose at a slower pace of 0.5% month-on-month compared with 1.4% increase in March. Among the member states for which data were available, industrial production rose in twelve and fell in nine. The highest increases were registered in Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark, while Ireland, Portugal and Greece recorded largest decreases. On an annual basis, production in EU27 grew 7.8%.

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[IFX Tatyana]

During early European deals on Wednesday, the Canadian dollar edged down against its US and Japanese counterparts despite a rise in oil price.

Meanwhile, the loonie pared some of its Asian session gains against the euro and the aussie.

Oil prices climbed today as traders look to weekly crude supply data for signs of recovering U.S. demand.

U.S. crude for August advanced as much as 40 cents to $72.38 a barrel on Wednesday and was up 15 cents at $72.13 at 1:38 am ET, after touching $71.09 on Tuesday, its lowest intra-day price since June 8, and peaking at $73.86. ICE Brent for August rose 16 cents to $71.61.

The American Petroleum Institute will publish weekly inventory data at 4:30 pm ET today, followed by government statistics from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday at 11 am ET. Both reports come a day later than usual because of the independence day holiday on July 5.

Most Asian and European stocks plunged today as weak U.S. data renewed concerns about the strength of the global economic recovery

Activity in the U.S. service sector expanded for the sixth consecutive month in June, according to a report released yesterday by the Institute for Supply Management, although the pace of growth in the sector slowed by much more than economists had anticipated.

The ISM said its index of activity in the service sector fell to 53.8 in June from 55.4 in May, but a reading above 50 indicates continued growth in the sector. Economists had expected the index to show a much more modest decrease to a reading of 55.0.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 1.2%, South Korea's Kospi declined 0.55%, Taiwan's main index plunged 0.2%.

Australia's S&P 200 index and the All Ordinaries index slipped 0.5% each.

In Europe, Germany's DAX fell 0.6% in early deals, France's CAC 40 index plunged 1.2% and U.K.'s FTSE 10 index lost 0.9%.

The Canadian dollar slipped against the US currency in early European deals on Wednesday. At present, the loonie is worth 1.0580 against the greenback, compared to yesterday's close of 1.0544. The near term support for the Canadian dollar is seen around the 1.068 level.

During early European deals on Wednesday, the Canadian dollar declined against the Japanese yen. The loonie-yen pair is currently worth 82.43, down from yesterday's closing value of 83.02. If the loonie weakens further, it may likely target the 82.0 level.

During early European deals on Wednesday, the Canadian dollar pared the gains it made in Asian deals against the currencies of Europe and Australia. As of now, the loonie is worth 1.3304 per euro and 0.8962 against the aussie, compared to early highs of 1.3279 and 0.8942, respectively. The next downside target level for the loonie is seen at 0.901 against the aussie and 1.337 against the euro. The euro-loonie pair closed trading at 1.3310 and the aussie-loonie pair at 0.9006 on Tuesday.

Looking ahead, the Euro-zone final first quarter GDP and the German factory orders for May are expected in the upcoming hours.

Canada's Ivey PMI for June is slated for release at 10:00 am ET.

There are no significant economic reports scheduled for release from the U.S. today.


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[IFX Svetlana]

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it reached in an agreement with Afghanistan on a new three-year economic program that could be supported by US$125 million financial aid.

"The main goals of the program are to move Afghanistan towards financial sustainability, ensure that the money spent is well used, and build capacity for policy implementation," said Masood Ahmed, IMF Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department said. The program will complement the broader development agenda that bilateral and multilateral partners will be supporting and will include a package of technical assistance from the IMF, he added.

Enrique Gelbard, IMF mission chief for Afghanistan said despite serious constraints, Afghanistan has been making progress under its economic program. Growth has been strong, inflation has been controlled, and tax collection has grown significantly since 2009.

He noted that Afghanistan government is committed to consolidating these achievements under its new program, which contains policies to keep inflation low, strengthen banking supervision and regulation, achieve sustained increases in fiscal revenues, ensure transparency in the mining sector, and improve efficiency in the budget process and public spending while protecting the poor.

The agreement reached with the Afghanistan authorities is subject to approval by IMF management and the Executive Board. Consideration of the program by the Executive Board is expected in late August.

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[DickP]

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it reached in an agreement with Afghanistan on a new three-year economic program that could be supported by US$125 million financial aid.

"The main goals of the program are to move Afghanistan towards financial sustainability, ensure that the money spent is well used, and build capacity for policy implementation," said Masood Ahmed, IMF Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department said. The program will complement the broader development agenda that bilateral and multilateral partners will be supporting and will include a package of technical assistance from the IMF, he added.

Enrique Gelbard, IMF mission chief for Afghanistan said despite serious constraints, Afghanistan has been making progress under its economic program. Growth has been strong, inflation has been controlled, and tax collection has grown significantly since 2009.

He noted that Afghanistan government is committed to consolidating these achievements under its new program, which contains policies to keep inflation low, strengthen banking supervision and regulation, achieve sustained increases in fiscal revenues, ensure transparency in the mining sector, and improve efficiency in the budget process and public spending while protecting the poor.

The agreement reached with the Afghanistan authorities is subject to approval by IMF management and the Executive Board. Consideration of the program by the Executive Board is expected in late August.

News are provided by InstaForex.

It's about time someone agrees with something we do over there.

[IFX Svetlana]

Tuesday during early European deals, the yen plummeted to fresh multi-week lows against the currencies of Australia, New Zealand and Europe as a rise in European stocks reduced demand for the safe-haven Japanese currency.

Meanwhile, the yen plunged to a 12-day low against the Canadian dollar.

European stocks soared in early deals on strong results from UBS and Deutsche Bank. Germany's DAX rose 0.3% in early deals, France's CAC 40 index climbed 0.75% and U.K.'s FTSE 10 index gained 0.6%.

However, Tokyo stocks ended almost flat today as the market awaited a series of earnings reports from Japanese companies this week.

After drifting in and out of negative territory, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished 6.81 points, or 0.07 percent, lower from Monday at 9,496.85.

Swiss banking giant UBS AG reversed to a profit in its second quarter, helped by excellent performance of its Investment Bank business. The segment also benefited by a gain on its own debt. At the same time, the company noted that withdrawals from its wealth management business slowed.

UBS said that it made a profit of CHF 2.005 billion or US$1.911 billion compared to a loss of CHF 1.402 billion in the year-ago period, although it trailed the previous quarter's profit of CHF 2.202 billion.

German financial services firm Deutsche Bank reported a higher profit for the second quarter, helped by a sharp decline in provision for credit losses and strong revenue growth in its Global Transaction Banking and Asset Management businesses.

Net income attributable to Deutsche Bank shareholders was EUR 1.16 billion, or about US$1.51 billion, compared with EUR 1.09 billion in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share were EUR 1.75 versus EUR 1.64 a year earlier.

An encouraging German GfK consumer confidence report released today also lifted investors sentiment.

German consumer climate is set to improve in August, as employment prospects brightened, results of a key survey showed. The consumer confidence index logged 3.9 for August, up from a revised 3.6 in July, a monthly survey from GfK Group showed. That was in contrast to an expected fall to 3.5.

The yen declined against the Australian dollar during early European session on Tuesday. As of now, the yen is trading near a 5-week low of 79.11 against the aussie, compared to 78.46 hit late New York Monday. On the downside, 80.9 is seen as the next target level for the Japanese currency.

During early European deals on Tuesday, the yen slipped against the New Zealand dollar. The kiwi-yen pair that closed yesterday's trading at 63.79 is now worth 64.25. This set the lowest level for the yen since June 23. If the yen weakens further, it may likely target the 65.4 level.

The yen plunged against the Canadian dollar in early European deals on Tuesday. As of now, the yen is trading at a 12-day low of 84.96 against the loonie and the next downside target level for the yen is seen at 86.5. At yesterday's close, the loonie-yen pair was quoted at 84.22.

At 4:35 am ET Tuesday, the yen slumped to near an 8-week low of 113.73 against the euro. At present, the yen is worth 113.65 against the euro with 114.2 seen as the next downside target level. The euro-yen pair closed yesterday's trading at 112.90.

The yen declined against the currencies of US and UK during early European deals on Tuesday. Currently, the yen is worth 135.20 against the pound and 87.40 against the dollar, compared to yesterday's close of 134.59 and 86.88, respectively. If the yen drops further, it may likely target 87.7 against the dollar and 135.6 against the pound.

Looking ahead, the U.S. consumer confidence for July and the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for May have been slated for release in the New York morning.


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