FOREX-Euro boosted, month-end demand

FOREX-Euro boosted by rate expectations, month-end demand






Euro zone flash inflation rises to 2.6 pct year-on-year

* Euro firms broadly as interest rates expected to rise

* Month-end demand helps euro, Irish stress test results due

(Adds comment, details, updates prices)

By Neal Armstrong

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - The euro rose broadly on Thursday as above-forecast euro zone inflation cemented the case for higher interest rates from the European Central Bank, though analysts cautioned against a rapid rise in the currency.

Traders said significant quarter-end and fiscal year-end flows were helping to boost the euro, at the expense of the dollar in particular.

Official euro zone estimates showed consumer prices jumped 2.6 percent year-on-year in March, up from 2.4 percent in February and more than market expectations.

They supported comments from European Central Bank policymaker Lorenzo Bini Smaghi who on Wednesday implied the central bank's policy is to gradually raise interest rates. Markets see the tightening cycle starting in April. [ID:nLDE72T1ZS]

"The euro has priced in a lot of good news so it's hard to see it moving rapidly higher, but it can definitely continue on the upside," said Raghav Subbarao, currency analyst at Barclays Capital.

"The ECB wants to show they are concerned about inflation but there are clearly other risks and they have kept the full allotment of open market operations given concerns about financial stability."

Ireland later on Thursday announces the results of stress tests that are expected to signal the effective nationalisation of the entire financial system, but few analysts were expecting a major reaction from the single currency.

"Ireland is not a big risk to the euro as there is no systemic risk thanks to the euro zone rescue fund. Confidence is being driven by the larger euro zone countries," said Manuel Oliveri, currency analyst at UBS in Zurich.

The euro rose 0.6 percent against the dollar EUR= to $1.4220, approaching its 2011 high of $1.4249. Traders cited demand from European central banks, while adding that a break of option barriers at $1.4250 would be needed for further momentum on the upside.

The single currency hit a 10-month high versus the yen EURJPY=R around 117.90 yen.

Given the market's certainty that the ECB will deliver a 25 basis point rate rise next month, analysts said the market's focus was on how far and how fast rates will continue to rise, adding that such forecasts will determine the euro's outlook. "There is nothing in the inflation figures that suggests that the ECB needs to move forward more aggressively and the euro is vulnerable to a repricing of tightening risk once next week's rate hike is out of the way, said Lena Komileva, global head of G10 strategy at BBH.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/31/markets-forex-idUSLDE72U19O20110331

Departing Berkshire Exec Wants to Start Own Firm

The high-ranking Berkshire Hathaway executive who suddenly resigned this week says he wants to start his own investment firm patterned after Warren Buffett's company.
David Sokol appeared on CNBC Thursday, one day after Buffett announced that Sokol had resigned. Many investors believed that Sokol had been the leading candidate to eventually replace Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO.
Sokol says he has been thinking of resigning for more than two years, and the time was right now because the Berkshire subsidiaries he oversaw are all in good shape.
Sokol told CNBC he wants to set up "mini Berkshire Hathaway" similar to the investment partnership Buffett set up in the 1960s.
Sokol says he likes to build companies but never aspired to be Berkshire's CEO.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=13263566

U.S. Housing Prices Fell 2010 - 2011

U.S. Housing Prices Fell Again in January

Portland was one of 11 cities in the Case-Shiller index that reached another low for the current downturn in January. Prices fell 1.8 percent from December, pushing them back to 2005 levels.

“You do kind of wonder where the bottom is,” said Mr. Thoele. “Sellers know in the back of their mind that their home is worth less than at the peak, but they’re still a little surprised when you tell them their $400,000 house is now worth $300,000.”

Case-Shiller is a three-month moving average, which means it is resistant to quick changes. On a seasonally adjusted basis, January’s drop was 0.2 percent, the same as in December. In the slower winter months, the adjusted numbers are considered less indicative of the market’s true condition.

Prices were down 3.1 percent from their levels a year earlier. Only two of the 20 cities in the index recorded price increases during that time: Washington and, barely, San Diego.

US house prices fall in October, set to tumble further still

Atlanta was hit the hardest. Overall, house prices fell by 1.3 percent in the month.

in October and have dropped roughly 2 percent nationwide since June, according to data released by Standard & Poor's Tuesday.

Prices fell in October in every city in the index, from Miami and Washington to San Diego and Seattle. Overall, the 20-city index was down 1.3 percent for the month, and has fallen 1.8 percent since June.

Six metro markets – Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Miami; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Tampa, Fla. – hit their lowest levels since home prices started to fall in 2006, although many other cities are still above lows reached in the spring of 2009.

"Although prices are falling again in all 20 cities, they are not in a freefall, as they were in 2007 and 2008," Patrick Newport, a housing analyst at IHS Global Insight, wrote in an analysis of Tuesday's numbers. The forecasting firm expects house prices to drop another 6 to 8 percent, he says, "and then turn around" after bottoming in 2011.

The Case-Shiller house price index is based on three-month moving averages, so October's readings may be only the second report to fully reflect the expiration of the federal tax credit, which helped to support housing transactions through June. The size of the price declines in October came as a surprise to analysts.

If the tax credit caused a kind of artificial rise and then fall in the housing market, other forces will now have a bigger effect on home prices going forward. Foreclosures and a glut of homes for sale are major reasons analysts expect modest home price declines to continue in many cities. But an improving economy could offset that trend, helping to buoy demand for homes as the job market improves.

Interest rates are a wild card. It's unclear if mortgage rates will keep rising, and thus diminish the amount that home buyers can afford to bid. Even though rising rates pose a threat to the market, in the short run they could lure some buyers into the market, as people worry that attractive rates may disappear.

Home prices have ridden a roller coaster over the past decade, with a dazzling upward surge followed by a harrowing bust in many markets. Prices in some markets have fallen sharply since 2006, but are still up for the decade, even after adjusting for inflation. Those include Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Boston, and Washington.

Other boom cities have fallen harder, with home prices now down for the decade on an inflation-adjusted basis. Those are Phoenix and Las Vegas. In those cities, home prices are now roughly where they were in 2000, while a 27 percent advance would have been needed to keep pace with inflation.

Detroit has fared the worst of any city in the Case-Shiller index over the past decade, with prices down 31 percent even before adjusting for inflation.

Inflation Affects the Forex

The Forex market is influenced by many different factors. Because of the world wide economy, knowing the economic reports in Switzerland may be as important to one trader as what the Yen is doing against the US Dollar. Countries release economic reports to show the health of their local economies, and one of the major reports that all Forex traders look forward to is the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

For example, in an economy that started booming, similar to the way China has grown in recent years, more people make more money. They start buying more. Stores not directly affected notice this, and raise their prices. So the workers demand more money, the company pays more money, and the stores keep raising prices. Without any checks or balances, this economic boom can send the inflation through the roof. A CPI report can show this, and encourage the government and federal banks to counter.

The CPI can sometimes be affected by a large hike in price of one commodity. For example, the huge jump in oil prices in the United States. This affects transportation, heating, food, and cuts into retail sales because of the squeeze on workers' budgets. In that case, one major commodity jumping in price created a domino effect that the CPI would alert traders and investors to.

see this example on forex trading

The Great Britain pound recovered somewhat after it dropped on the speculation that the falling house prices signal about problems in Britain’s economy.



GBP/USD traded at 1.5434 as of 03:38 GMT today after it dropped yesterday from 1.5497 to 1.5366. GBP/JPY traded at 125.79 after yesterday’s decline from 126.47 to 125.46.

Earnings Temper Goldman Sachs Cutting Japan

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Japan’s largest bank by market value, led declines among the nation’s biggest lenders after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its forecast for the country’s economic growth. Anhui Conch Cement Co., China’s biggest cement maker, and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. (1114), the Chinese partner of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, climbed more than 5 percent after posting full-year earnings that beat estimates.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was unchanged at 133.61 as of 2:11 p.m. in Tokyo, having declined as much as 0.9 percent earlier. About the same number of stocks advanced as declined in the index. The gauge had its biggest weekly gain since November last week as Japan moved to stabilize nuclear reactors damaged by a March 11 earthquake and as companies from Cnooc Ltd. to Bank of China Ltd.’s earnings surpassed estimates.

“The issue of radioactive contamination from the nuclear- power plant just doesn’t seem to settle down,” said Yasushi Noguchi, a strategist in Tokyo at SMBC Friend Securities Co. “Even though there are expectations that there will be huge demand for reconstruction following the earthquake disaster, the radioactive pollution could delay the recovery.”

Japan’s Nikkei 225 (NKY) Stock Average swung between gains and losses after Goldman Sachs lowered its growth forecast for Japan’s gross domestic product this year to 0.7 percent from 1.3 percent previously in the aftermath of power cuts and damage from the March 11 earthquake.

China’s Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.2 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.1 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 0.5 percent, while New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index increased 0.4 percent.

2012ers take aim at Obama's Libya speech

‎

p0rkch0p10‎ RT @latimestot: Obama Libya Speech RT @HeyTammyBruce Glurb blah blah Me change furp Me Me pie revolution slurp Americans blah Me!

Twitter

‎

Rachhope‎ What do you think about President Obama's speech on Libya??

Twitter

Republican presidential hopefuls wasted no time in lambasting President Barack Obama's national address on Libya Monday night, taking to the airwaves to accuse him of failing to exercise American leadership or articulate a clear mission and end-game in the north African country.

Sarah Palin professed herself "profoundly disappointed" in the "dodgy and dubious" speech. John Bolton called it "pathetic." Rudy Giuliani said it only make things "murkier." Donald Trump, the ultimate presidential tease, gave Obama credit for "trying hard" — before claiming the president is "a little bit afraid of Congress, frankly. He doesn't want to go in too strongly because they'll say that he broke his constitutional law."

Taken together, the comments by them and other potential Obama opponents were just the latest example of what's been almost lockstep and fierce opposition to the president's Libya strategy. At various times, Republicans have accused him of waiting too long to intervene, intervening too cautiously, failing to explicitly state that removal of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi is a must, and ceding American leadership to other countries on the global stage.

"He did not articulate really what our purpose was except some inconsistent humanitarian effort there," Palin said on Fox News shortly after Obama's speech. "He did not make the case for this intervention."

Bolton, one of Obama's fiercest and most consistent foreign policy critics, was particularly harsh "The speech was a dog's breakfast as far as I was concerned," he said on Fox News. "It wasn't much that was new and what was new was trivial. ... I thought it was pathetic."

Giuliani professed himself less than impressed.

"The president's speech tonight has made things even murkier than they were before," he said on CNN. "The whole purpose of this was to clarify our mission. Our mission is just internally contradictory."

And Trump voiced concerns about the rebels being aided by the allied airstrikes, raising the specter that they could have dangerous backers, but without offering any evidence.

"I really do want to know these people we're fighting for, who they are," he said on CNN. "They call them the rebels like they're these wonderful guys, but i hear they're aligned with Iran, I hear they may be aligned with Al Qaeda. ... And to be honest, wouldn't that be really very very sad if we're bombing all of these things killing all of these people one way or the other and Iran ends up taking over Libya."

Moments before the president's speech, Tim Pawlenty reiterated his contention that a no-fly zone should have been enforced much sooner.

"They could have pushed him out without much fanfare, I think, without much difficulty," Pawlenty said on CNBC. "They were indecisive and it lacked leadership in that moment."

about Tax changes for health insurances

tax season

The Internal Revenue Service estimates that it takes roughly 23 hours and costs about $300, on average, to compile and file a Form 1040.


Health insurance premiums have been deductible against income taxes for years. But this break — valid only for 2010 — allows you to subtract this cost from the income that's subject to Social Security taxes too. That can save roughly 15.3% on your annual health premium cost. So, if you pay $500 a month in premiums, you'll save about $918 in tax.

Unfortunately, figuring out where to claim this deduction isn't easy. Apparently because it's so short-lived, no one bothered to include it on the 1040 or even the IRS Schedule SE, where your Social Security and Medicare taxes are calculated, Luscombe said. You need to write it in on the SE form, putting the cost in brackets on Line 3 to show that you've subtracted it from your otherwise taxable self-employment earnings

complete news: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-fi-perfin-20110327,0,1979589.column

japan capital markets sunami effects

Less than a week after the tragic events in Japan, the countrys capital is showcased in the video 4 the Black

OshigotoEUS‎ アメリカ東部： Research Analyst- Japanese - New York City, NY - countries. Research Analyst- Japanese (National Capital Reg..

Japan Is So United After the Earthquake That Even the Japanese Mafia is Chipping In:The earthquake in Japan was an incredible tragedy . . . but the way the country has handled the aftermath has been even more incredible. http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/radio/stories.php?storyId=1551

Commodity Pick of the Week: Lead
The Japan Nuclear catastrophe has resulted in rise in Lead demand which is the basic raw material for Batteries.
With the price being supported fundamentally, a technical kick above the pattern shall take the price to 135 - 140 levels.

http://www.geplcapital.com/reports/Technical-Analysis/Commodities_lead_Pickoftheweek_210311.pdf

www.geplcapital.com

Eyed Peas latest single

japan tsunami effects on capital market

The feared nuclear meltdown in Japan hasn’t happened and looks less and less like it will,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at AMP Capital Investors. “Investors are feeling less negative and so shares are having a bounce. It could prove temporary, though, if Middle East tensions lead to a further spike in the oil price.” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Monday that he could see “light at the end of the tunnel”, even as smoke at two of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant's reactors hampered efforts to restore cooling systems. The site was badly damaged by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11

MARK COLVIN: A new report from the World Bank says that despite the enormous human toll of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan the effects on the East Asian economy will be limited. Reconstruction efforts are expected to speed up in the second half of the year, boosting growth.

But economists say some global companies will be hit, particularly those that need vital components from Japan.

Bronwyn Herbert reports.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Japan's earthquake, tsunami and the sight of radioactive plumes have shaken global markets. But in a new economic update on East Asia, the World Bank predicts the slowdown will only be temporary.

SHANE OLIVER: Well the broad message is that the impact will be more significant than was the case following the last major earthquake in Japan in 1995, that was the Kobe earthquake, largely because the damage has been on a broader scale. And of course one of the big factors this time around has been the disruption to the power supply.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Shane Oliver is the chief economist at AMP Capital Investors.

SHANE OLIVER: Just less than 10 per cent of the region's trade is with Japan. So there's certainly going to be an impact. That said though the rough mathematics is such that even if Japanese growth declines, if Japanese GDP declined say 0.5 per cent it's probably only going to knock about 0.1 or 0.2 per cent off Asian economic growth.

BRONWYN HERBERT: On Friday we saw the G7 nations intervene in an attempt to control the soaring Japanese yen. How much does the overall economic health of East Asia rely on a modest yen?

SHANE OLIVER: It is true that a lot of countries across Asia have borrowed against the yen. Say for example if the Japanese yen had risen substantially in value it could certainly be an issue for Thailand because 60 per cent of their long-term debt is denominated in Japanese yen.

And therefore the value of their debt would have gone up and therefore the repayment burden would have become somewhat more onerous if you like.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Economist Saul Eslake from the Grattan Institute says Japan faces similar financial challenges to other areas hit recently by natural disasters.

SAUL ESLAKE: Similar to that of the floods and cyclones in Queensland or the earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand. That is in the short term there is a downturn in economic activity not so much as a result of the damage itself but as a result of the business that can't or won't be done because of that damage.

But as reconstruction, repair and rebuilding gets underway there is a more than offsetting boost to growth as a result of all those activities.

BRONWYN HERBERT: But there are some key differences. Japan is an important link in global supply chains including car parts and flatscreen TVs. And this disruption to production spills into other economies.

SAUL ESLAKE: It's businesses in countries like Korea or Taiwan and even China who have discovered that the inability to source vital components from Japan is having an effect on their production as well.

Now this is not globally significant at this time. But it does mean that the Japanese earthquake and its aftermath may have a somewhat bigger and slightly longer lasting adverse impact on regional and perhaps global economic growth in Australia and New Zealand.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Japan's problems aren't the only international concerns making markets nervous. Military air strikes in Libya have added a new degree of uncertainty for global financial markets as have fresh concerns over a new round in the European debt crisis.

JEFF BRESNAHAN: I think you've only got to look at the day-to-day trading of the various share markets around the world to see how rattled markets really are.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Jeff Bresnahan is the managing director of superannuation research company SuperRatings.

Balanced super funds are considered one of the more conservative areas to invest. But already these funds have lost on average 2 per cent this month.

JEFF BRESNAHAN: Since July last year we've seen very, very steady growth month on month by super funds which has dragged them up to around about 9 per cent return at the end of Feb.

And then lo and behold the first two to three weeks of March and we've seen at least 2 per cent of those gains erased. And at one stage that was as high as 3.5 per cent. So it really has been a bumpy road because of world events in March.

BRONWYN HERBERT: Economists say the series of events have lead to a volatile share market. And it's had a negative impact on overall market confidence, at least for now.

MARK COLVIN: Bronwyn Herbert.

sourch: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3169704.htm

US STOCKS-AT&T Wall Street

AT&T Inc's offer for Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA,sparked a rally in European telecom shares

The market volatility index .VIX fell 16.2 percent, its biggest daily percentage drop since May, and was trading below its 14- and 200-day moving averages for the first time since the earthquake in Japan.

Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by 2,458 to 546, while on the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners 2,048 to 574.

Buyers emerged on Monday in US stocks, enticed by the biggest proposed merger of the year, though crises in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa meant market volatility would continue. Wall Street stocks rose on Monday, as a $39 billion telecom deal overcame concerns about a surge in oil prices resulting from continuing Western military action in Libya and unrest in the Middle East.

Multiple notable acquisitions, including AT&T's $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile, fueled broad gains for Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 178 points, or 1.5%, to 12037, the S&P 500 climbed 19.2 points, or 1.5%, ...

US Stocks Close Higher For 3rd Straight Session, Aided By Dea

effect of japanese tsunami on forex

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Can "shipping expenses, cross-border duty, import taxes as well as exchange rate" add 28% to the cost of an electronic product at BestBuy?

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RJ Myato

ATTN: Last of England (RJ and Erik) are playing Avant Fairfax Fest in Fairfax, Virginia on April 23rd. We currently do not have a way to get there. If you have a car and 1) would like to road trip out there with us in exchange for gas/food money and to see the gig, or 2) also play music and would like to play with us during our set in addition to the above, please let us know!!!! We need to set this up soon!

Topix Insurance Sub-index -12% Another Tsunami seen hitting Jpn. They won't do yen intervention on same day as huge MMOps

Forex Robot That Is Capable Of Doubling Your Money

Awkward moment when a bunch of Japanese kids run past a window and someone yells "Tsunami, where?" totally wrong time for foreign exchange

Big levels approach again for AUD/USD and EUR/JPY: There was talk last week of exceedingly heavy stop-loss ... h ...

1. ‎	ashleygreysonna‎ RT @jointheJoes: Forex Daily Market Commentary: Japan hit by strong earthquakes and tsunamis bit.ly/icBFEX Twitter - 888433 11 Mar 2011

2. ‎	ekapupit‎ RT @isabelleboucher: Tsunami may aid revive global metal; stress forex: FII view: The northern coast of Japan was slammed by a massiv... Twitter - 894359 11 Mar 2011

3. ‎	octomozz‎ JAPAN TSUNAMI.. Forex banyak yg UNTUNG gila2an.. !! Twitter - 894784 11 Mar 2011

[Forex News] China's Growth Prospects in the Wake of the Japan Crisis

Report: Sentiments Stabilized as Japan Nuclear Crisis Eased: Sentiments stabil...

Warning! | There might be a problem with the requested link‎ - bit.ly

Daily Report: Sentiments Stabilized as Japan Nuclear Crisis Eased ...‎ -


Latest Forex Blog News: What's Going on with the Japanese Yen? The Japanese Yen has been gaining strength agains... Latest Forex Blog News Forex Online‎ -

DTN Japan: Aussie & NZD extend gains, resilient to Libya crisis: MARKETS-AUSTRALIA/FOREX:Aussie & NZD extend ga... Aussie & NZD extend gains, resilient to Libya crisis - Yahoo!7 Finance‎ -

Latest Forex update: Morning Forex Commentary: Forex Euro (1.4178) is trading strong, but is now close to an important resistance at 1.4200-50 region. USDJPY (80.90) has bounced back from a low near 80.50. Japanese markets are closed today for Vernal Equinox. The Aussie (1.0004) has recovered alongside the rise in the USDJPY. The Pound (1.6217) has also recovered well from last week's low of 1.5969. Friday's high...

Camera Production Hit by Japanese Earthquake: Nikon has closed their FX body and lens plants with no word on whe... bit.ly/e984Km

G-7 Pledges Rare Joint FX Intervention As Crisis-Stricken Japan Sells Yen: UPDATE: G-7 Pledges Rare Joint FX Intervention As Crisis-Stricken ...‎

MAREX FX - Morning Espresso: The week began extremely quietly in Asia with Japan out of the market due to a nati... MAREX FX - Morning Espresso > FX Trading | Forex Trading | Forex ...‎ -

Forex Update: China’s Growth Prospects in the Wake of the Japan Crisis: It was only last year that China surpassed Japan as the second largest economy in the world. Many investors are wondering what China’s growth prospects will be now, on the back of the Japanese crisis. Some analysts are predicting that in the short to medium term, demand could drop considerably, [...]

FX DEBT-C$ firm

CANADA FX DEBT-C$ firm after inflation data; jumps against yen

 * Bank of Canada says took part in yen intervention

 * C$ jumps against yen after BoC intervention

 * C$ rises to $1.0167

 * Bonds flat, weighs Libya against rising stocks

 * Canada annual inflation rate eases in February
(Adds details)

 TORONTO, March 18 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar CAD=D4
firmed against the U.S. currency on Friday, taking tame
inflation data in stride, as the focus returned to Japan's
nuclear crisis and a rise in oil prices on the prospect of
possible military action against Libya.

 Market watchers also digested actions by the Group of Seven
rich nations to jointly intervene to weaken a soaring yen
JPY=. For more see [ID:nLDE72H19Z].

 In a move to calm financial markets grappling with
continued anxiety over the crisis in quake-ravaged Japan, the
Bank of Japan bought billions of dollars, backed up by action
by European central banks. The Bank of Canada confirmed it took
part, as did the U.S. Federal Reserve. [ID:nTZOIEE7TJ]

 The amount of yen sold by the Bank of Canada in its
intervention will be reflected in the country's foreign
reserves report in early April, a central bank spokesman said
on Friday.

 The Department of Finance releases a monthly update on
foreign currency reserves on the third business day of every
month, making the next release due on April 5.

 However, TD Securities analysts noted that Canada's yen
reserves are relatively small at $252 million as of March 3 and
that any movement in the yen versus the Canadian unit is more
likely to be dictated by Fed action than by that of the
Canadian central bank.

 "Canada doesn't hold a ton of reserves in JPY, and can only
do so much with CAD/JPY specifically," TD Securities said.

 The Canadian dollar recently weakened against the yen, with
one Canadian dollar buying at as little as 78.03 yen on
Thursday, a level not seen since April, 2009.

 It jumped as high as 83.21 yen immediately after the Bank
of Canada confirmed it was intervening. CADJPY=

 TAME INFLATION

 The currency held overnight gains as Canada's annual
inflation rate in February cooled to 2.2 percent from 2.3
percent in January, just below the consensus forecast of 2.3
percent, and the core rate fell to its lowest level on record
at 0.9 percent. [ID:nSCLIEE7AG]

 The Canadian dollar "will probably get buffeted by
geopolitical developments, particularly with things in the
Middle East," said Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist at
Royal Bank of Canada.

 Canada's currency, typically influenced by oil prices,
pushed higher as U.S. oil prices CLc1 rose after the United
Nations approved military action to contain Libyan leader
Muammar Gaddafi, heightening tensions in the oil-rich Middle
East. Libya said Friday it would call a cease-fire
. [O/R]

 At 9:25 a.m. (1325 GMT), the currency was at C$0.9836 to
the U.S. dollar, or $1.0167, up from Thursday's North American
session close at C$0.9863 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0139.

 Government bonds were flat to mildly lower as developments
in Libya were offset by a rise in global stock markets.
[MKTS/GLOB]

 The two-year Canadian government bond CA2YT=RR was off 1
Canadian cent to yield 1.608 percent, while the 10-year bond
CA10YT=RR was unchanged to yield 3.188 percent.

 The tame inflation data implies less need for a swift
interest rate hike, analysts said. Overnight index swaps, which
trade based on expectations for the key central bank rate,
showed traders scaled back bets for Bank of Canada rate hikes
in the coming months. BOCWATCH
(Reporting by Ka Yan Ng; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)



sourch: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/markets-canada-dollar-bonds-idUSN1822146320110318

Japan Radiation Concern make US Stocks Drop a Second Week

US Stocks Drop a Second Week on Japan Radiation Concern, Libya Conflict

LL THE CIENTS WHO MAILED US OR SENT US A TEXT BEFORE 12:00 PM TODAY WILL BE ... THEIR ORDERS WILL BE PROCESSED ON TUESDAY - SUJECT TO STOCK AVAILABILITY

iPad 2 is out of stock in the U.S. People need to wait for 4 -5 weeks. Otherwise, they would have to pay $300 more than its price.

Former Goldman director sues SEC: A former Goldman Sachs board member charged with insider trading by the US Securities and Exchange ...

Casino Stocks in 2011: Headlines Moving the Market - Worldnews.com: CAP TV Takes on US Gambling Laws. Order: Reo...

isaster in Japan: The REAL Impact - Penny Stocks Newsletters: Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter MONEY AN...

US Stocks Advance as Banks Boost Dividends, Libya Declares Cease-Fire: “If you were optimistic before, looking a... bit.ly/guXoLx

$NEP : Earns 1.86 a share, and the stock goes down. When the stock is 4.50, I think that tells us one of two things. China North East Petroleum (NEP): Earns 1.86 a share, and the ...‎ -

DETROIT — A week after catastrophe struck Japan in the form of an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear crisis, manufacturers that rely on Japanese factories are concluding that their operations will be affected more severely — and for a longer time — than they had initially hoped.

Enlarge This Image

Toshiyuki Aizawa/Bloomberg News

Nissan's engine plant in Iwaki, shown in 2008, was damaged in the quake. The company does not know when it will reopen.

Nissan, for example, has at least nine Japanese vehicle and parts factories and 35 suppliers that have been disrupted by the disaster. The company’s engine plant in Iwaki, damaged by the quake, could take so long to get back to normal production that Nissan is considering the extreme step of shipping engines made at its Tennessee plant to Japan to go in cars there, the chairman of Nissan Americas said in an interview Friday.

“This is a serious situation, and it has the potential to affect many markets, including the Americas,” the executive, Carlos Tavares, said. “We are going to make sure we address the issues as fast as we can. We have a buffer, a cushion, that’s going to give us a little bit of time to bring things back on track.”

But Mr. Tavares said it could be weeks or months until the supply chain is back to normal. He just doesn’t know.

Many other companies are also uncertain about when or how they can return to full production, from chip makers dependent on Japan’s silicon wafers to cellphone makers like Sony Ericsson. As the crisis evolves, the early optimism has given way to caution.

Honda, which had earlier hoped to restart its shuttered Japanese plants on Monday, announced Friday that it was extending the shutdown by at least three days, reassessing the situation after that “based on the status of the recovery of parts supply as well as Japanese society as a whole.”

The company has also told dealers in the United States that it will delay taking orders for Japanese-made cars and trucks that they would normally receive in May until it has a better idea of its ability to ship them.

Tony Iskandar, the owner of Goudy Honda in Alhambra, Calif., one of Honda’s largest dealerships, said even before the disaster he expected to run low this summer on his more fuel-efficient models, like the Fit subcompact, which comes from Japan, because of rising gasoline prices.

“In the short term we’ll have enough cars, but in a few months it’s going to be crazy,” Mr. Iskandar said. “We’re trying to buy as many used cars as we can. At least that’s an option if a customer wants a Honda. We could give them a year-old or two-year-old certified car.”

Nissan restarted two of its Japanese plants Thursday but warned that it might need to shut them again any day as available parts are depleted. The rest are staying down until at least next week. Mr. Tavares said 35 Nissan suppliers in Japan were “addressing issues in their plants,” and some lower-tier suppliers undoubtedly have to repair their buildings or equipment as well.

Toyota’s plants in Japan, which build nearly half the vehicles the company sells worldwide, also remain closed. Of particular concern to many dealers is the Prius, a gas-electric hybrid car that is assembled only in Japan and has been experiencing a surge in demand.

TrueCar.com, which tracks vehicle pricing and sales, said the uncertainty about Prius availability already had caused the average price customers are paying for the car to soar by about $1,800 since the earthquake. Jesse Toprak, TrueCar’s vice president for industry trends and insight, predicted that dealers will be charging sticker price — or even hundreds or thousands of dollars higher, a practice automakers discourage but cannot prohibit — as soon as next week.

“The problem is that there’s so much uncertainty,” Mr. Toprak said. “The supply-chain problem is a much more dramatic one than what the automakers are portraying. Even if they were able to come online in two weeks, which I think is wishful thinking, there’s a couple hundred thousand units to make up already, and nobody exactly knows how long this is going to last.”

General Motors is halting output at a pickup-truck plant in Louisiana next week because it is running low on an unspecified part from Japan, with ripple effects on other G.M. operations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/business/global/19auto.html

Japan raised the severity level of crisis-hit reactors nuclear power plant from 4 to 5

There are 15 nuclear plants along New Madrid fault zone. 3 reactors in Alabama are of similar design as Fukushima site in Japan

Natural Disasters in Japan affect Market Rates; Nuclear Power Plant Company Creates a Twitter Account to Keep the World Informed ...


Go Japan! You're the only country that have suffered nuclear attacks, lived with tsunamis for centuries, and still became a world power.

One of the very big victims of the nuclear crisis in Japan is Charlie Sheen, who was knocked all the way off the news, maybe permanently.

JYJ donates 600million dollars, yen or won to Japan?

1. ‎	bublw‎ "JYJ donates 600million won to Japan!" to dollars or yen? Twitter - 11 minutes ago

2. ‎	JpopAsia‎ [BREAKING] JYJ donates 600million won to Japan! JYJ donates 600million won to Japan!‎ - jpopasia.com Twitter - 22 minutes ago

3. ‎	Sabrinasmackyou‎ OMG! JYJ donate 600 million Korean Won to Japan?! Twitter - 1 hour ago

4. ‎	jukas‎ 1234zz: [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake in Eastern Japan, JYJ Donates 600 million KRW… ... - More » LATEST-GOLF-NEWS: [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake ...‎ - blogspot.com Twitter / 1234zz: [New post] [Coffee Break i ...‎ - twitter.com FriendFeed - 1 hour ago

5. ‎	4dsex‎ #video [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake in Eastern Japan, JYJ Donates 600 million KRW with Fans ar... LATEST-GOLF-NEWS: [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake ...‎ - blogspot.com Twitter - 1 hour ago

6. ‎

   jukas‎ 1234zz: #video [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake in Eastern Japan, JYJ Donates 600 million KRW with Fans ar... ... - More » Twitter / 1234zz: #video [New post] [Coffee ...‎ - twitter.com LATEST-GOLF-NEWS: [New post] [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake ...‎ - blogspot.com FriendFeed - 1 hour ago

7. ‎	michimoola_gi‎ [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake in Eastern Japan, JYJ Donates 600 million KRW with Fans around the World, “T... [Coffee Break interview] Earthquake in Eastern Japan, JYJ Donates ...‎ - koreanupdates.com Twitter - 1 hour ago

8. ‎	Yokikim‎ (NEWS) JYJ Gives 600M KRW and Plans to Hold Their OWN DONATION CAMPAIGN FOR FANS: (NEWS) JYJ Gives 600M KRW and Plans to Hold Their OWN DONATION ...‎ - wordpress.com Twitter - 1 hour ago

9. ‎	TohoshinkiFB‎ Exclusive Interview With JYJ on Their Donation to Japan Tohoshinki | Facebook‎ - facebook.com Twitter - 2 hours ago

10. ‎	As0or83‎ JYJ has ALREADY donated 600 million KRW to World Vision! WORLD VISION THEMSELVES THANKED JYJ FOR IT! [News] World Vision Japan thanks JYJ for their 600 million KRW ...‎ - wordpress.com Twitter - 2 hours ago

No more nuclear power

Japan might wanna start pouring concrete on that nuclear reactor. SMH. The water isn't working!

No more nuclear power - there are alternatives - it's not about making money - it's about the safety of the people of this world

‎	aspree‎ RT @SecuraInsurance: Interesting! RT @riskinsurance: CBS News: What's the most at-risk U.S. nuclear power plant for #earthquake? What's the most at-risk U.S. nuclear power plant? - CBS News‎ - cbsnews.com Twitter - seconds ago

‎	davinciscience‎ RT @PopSci: Can Next-Generation Reactors Power a Safe Nuclear Future? Can Next-Generation Reactors Power a Safe Nuclear Future ...‎ - popsci.com Twitter - seconds ago

‎	athussin‎ Why Japan embraced nuclear power after suffering the atomic bomb #Japan #Nuclear Why Japan embraced nuclear power after suffering the atomic bomb ...‎ - theglobeandmail.com Twitter - seconds ago

‎	Jaimecheng‎ The threat by the nuclear reactor plants is a wakeup call to us, that (one day) we'll fall prey to our own inventions. Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	boobasan‎ RT @peter_wagner: Which environmental disaster is bigger? 1. release of radioactivity from Japanese reactor, or 2. Death of #Nuclear and triumph of ... - More » Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	DTNUK‎ DTN UK: Japan nuclear plant crisis: Helicopter pictures show devastation inside Fukushima reactor towers - see t... Japan nuclear plant crisis: Helicopter pictures show devastation ...‎ - mirror.co.uk Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	PublikunCZAR‎ Hydrovolcanic explosion of nuclear reactor buiding No.3 in Japan Hydrovolcanic explosion of nuclear reactor buiding No.3 in Japan ...‎ - heybarack.com Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	akanose‎ Litany of mishaps in Japan nuclear industry Litany of mishaps in Japan nuclear industry | Dailywebnews.info‎ - dailywebnews.info Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	cefortes‎ RT @TheBradBlog: RT @justinmccurry: Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect ... via @guardian Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect | World news ...‎ - guardian.co.uk Twitter - 1 minute ago

‎	MarketGuardian‎ What is More Dangerous: Building Nuclear Power Plants On Major Fault Lines Or Allowing Central Bankers To Play G... What is More Dangerous: Building Nuclear Power Plants On Major ...‎ - themarketguardian.com Twitter - 2 minutes ago

‎	IgorCarron‎ Air Trajectories from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants Air Trajectories from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants‎ - tamu.edu Twitter - 2 minutes ago

‎	credarenee‎ dezinestudios: Can Next-Generation Reactors Power a Safe Nuclear Future? Can Next-Generation Reactors Power a Safe Nuclear Future ...‎ - popsci.com Twitter / Dezine Studios: Can Next-Generation Reacto ...‎ - twitter.com Twitter - 2 minutes ago

‎	ACQUIP‎ Fukushima Threatens Nuclear Power In Europe Forbes - Energy Information and Energy News - Forbes.com‎ - forbes.com Twitter - 2 minutes ago

‎	ITV Tyne Tees‎ With the safety of nuclear power once again in question, scientists in Newcastle debate if coal could be the fuel of the future. ... - More » Tyne Tees Regional News | North East Tonight - ITV Local‎ - itv.com Facebook - 2 minutes ago

‎	dgendvil‎ RT @buzzflash Our Lives are at Stake With a Nuclear Power Industry That Buys Off Governments Our Lives are at Stake With a Nuclear Power Industry That Buys Off ...‎ - buzzflash.com Twitter - 2 minutes ago - Las Vegas, NV, USA

‎	TheCostOfEnergy‎ Japan's Once-Powerful Nuclear Industry is Under Siege Japan’s Once-Powerful Nuclear Industry is Under Siege by Caroline ...‎ - yale.edu Twitter - 3 minutes ago

‎	_eastcoastgirl‎ RT @DailyIntel: With Japan in crisis, Governor Cuomo renews calls to close Indian Point, the nuclear power plant outside NYC With Japan in Crisis, Cuomo Renews Calls to Close Indian Point ...‎ - nymag.com Twitter - 3 minutes ago

‎	StrykerMcG‎ A very quiet celebration, I assume: a groundbreaking ceremony was held 14 March for the United Arab Emirates' first nuclear power plant.. Twitter - 3 minutes ago

‎	IgorCarron‎ Air Trajectories from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants: Air Trajectories from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants‎ - tamu.edu Twitter - 3 minutes ago

‎	frankejames‎ RT @Greenpeace: Join the discussion - @revkin wants to know your thoughts on nuclear power in a post-tsunami world On Nuclear Power in a Post-Tsunami World - NYTimes.com‎ - nytimes.com Twitter - 3 minutes ago

‎	StevenLevers‎ RT @typographica: n. kernkraftwerk — 1. German for "nuclear power station" 2. moving letters to the sound of robot pop Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	TodaysAdvisor.com‎ ... is there any valid argument left against strict federal regulation of big oil and for-profit power corporations, nuclear or otherwise? - More » Facebook - 4 minutes ago

‎	rubberubberDUCK‎ RT @Cheri_x: So there are people evacuating Tokyo because of the out of control Nuclear Power Station... 35 mil in Tokyo alone.Jesus christ #prayforjapan Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	westinkorvillas‎ HI State Civil Defense indicates nuclear power plant incidents in Japan will have NO effect on Hawaii at this time - www.scd.hawaii.gov Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	Missourians for a ...‎ Instead of discarding the possibility of nuclear power, we must examine what happened in Japan and work to learn as much from this crisis as possible so ... - More » Facebook - 4 minutes ago

‎	whatsamatta_u‎ San Onofre Nuclear Reactor just friended me on FaceBook. This is not good. #p2 #japan Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	abisawyer‎ RT @bbcworldservice: On our news podcast: Japan's race to save nuclear reactor / Italy's not-so-happy 150th anniversary BBC - Podcasts - Global News‎ - bbc.co.uk Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	yue2cwork‎ German industry can cope despite nuclear plant shutdowns German industry can cope despite nuclear plant shutdowns‎ - icis.com Twitter - 4 minutes ago

‎	the_real_josh_m‎ RT @fart: hey boys nuclear reactor going nuts. what do you say we squirt a bunch of water on it i guess???? Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	abanalex‎ I uploaded a YouTube video -- Fukushima nuclear Reactor ! Must see... YouTube - Fukushima nuclear Reactor ! Must see...‎ - youtube.com Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	IT solution‎ The attempt to use helicopters to dump seawater on to the Fukushima power station is almost certainly unprecedented in more than half a century of nuclear ... - More » BBC News - Choppers and cannon bring no nuclear relief‎ - bbc.co.uk Facebook - 5 minutes ago

‎	michaelroberts‎ RT @TorontoStar: Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor - thestar.com‎ - thestar.com Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	EddieAngstrom‎ NUCLEAR POWER: When it goes bad....it really goes bad. Any other kind of factory when it blows up, burns, and then they put it out. Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	MsSweetsIsBad‎ Japan might wanna start pouring concrete on that nuclear reactor. SMH. The water isn't working! Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	AmparoCobain‎ RT @BrodyDalle: No more nuclear power - there are alternatives - it's not about making money - it's about the safety of the people of this world Twitter - 5 minutes ago

‎	fakeuniverse‎ RT @RealAudreyKitch: & using nuclear power blows my mind. Why still use methods that are killing people & ruining the earth when we don't need too? Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	Marianas Variety-Guam Edition‎ ... by a 9.0 earthquake and a devastating tsunami which damaged power sources, resulting in a meltdown of one or more of their nuclear power reactors. ... - More » We just don’t know‎ - mvguam.com Facebook - 6 minutes ago

‎	fivechimera‎ Again: Where was the media? Japanese power companies hid nuclear safety problems: WikiLeaks ...‎ - thestar.com Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	L_O_T_S_I‎ ... ,NEW LATEST FOOTAGE of helicopters water-bombing nuclear reactor, close-up shots of Fukushima http://www.facebook.com/pages/LAST-OF-THE-SOVEREIGN-INDIVIDUAL ...‎ YouTube - Video of helicopters water-bombing nuclear ...‎ - youtube.com Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	DaveAlpert‎ Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor: Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor - thestar.com‎ - thestar.com Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	rwm1947‎ DOE, EPA, AEC-Stop being ignorant and incompetent bureaucrats! Issue the required permits for construction of nuclear power Plants! Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	teddytjahyadi‎ I liked a YouTube video -- New hydrogen blast at Fukushima nuclear reactor after Japan ... YouTube - New hydrogen blast at Fukushima nuclear reactor ...‎ - youtube.com Twitter - 6 minutes ago

‎	NOWFreedom4All‎ RT @McClatchyDC: Commentary: After Japan, U.S. nuclear industry needs a re-think: Commentary: After Japan, U.S. nuclear industry needs a re-think ...‎ - mcclatchydc.com Twitter - 7 minutes ago

‎	TheBradBlog‎ RT @justinmccurry: Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect ... via @guardian Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect | World news ...‎ - guardian.co.uk Twitter - 7 minutes ago

‎	ronaldjacksonX‎ US Nuclear Industry Safety?, Pt 9: "At Calif Nuclear Plant, Emergency Response Plans Don't Include Earthquakes" (LOL!) At California Nuclear Plant, Earthquake Response Plan Not Required‎ - huffingtonpost.com Twitter - 7 minutes ago

‎	Sutmundo‎ NYTimes: On Nuclear Power in a Post-Tsunami World On Nuclear Power in a Post-Tsunami World - NYTimes.com‎ - nytimes.com Twitter - 7 minutes ago

1. ‎	Cal_Politics‎ U.S. nuclear advocates try to limit political impact of Japan reactor crisis: Bob Walker (R-Pa.), according to t... bit.ly/dLztBj Twitter - 7 minutes ago

2. ‎	jeffshattuck‎ I think it's a shame that nuclear power hangs in the balance based on the safety of old designs. Still, maybe the risk is just too great. Twitter - 7 minutes ago

3. ‎	JoyRaeFreeman‎ Fights to Close Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Facility Vermont Gov. Fights to Close Vermont Yankee, One of 23 U.S ...‎ - democracynow.org Twitter - 7 minutes ago

4. ‎	Fresno Bee Opinion Talk‎ Nunes claims news coverage of Japan tragedy is liberal plot to kill nuclear power - Fresno Bee. ... - More » Rep. Nunes claims news coverage of Japan tragedy is liberal plot ...‎ - fresnobeehive.com Facebook - 7 minutes ago

5. ‎	EddieAngstrom‎ Can I just say it? Ban Nuclear Power. Twitter - 7 minutes ago

6. ‎	Cheri_x‎ So there are people evacuating Tokyo because of the out of control Nuclear Power Station... 35 mil in Tokyo alone.Jesus christ #prayforjapan Twitter - 7 minutes ago

7. ‎	jerico4‎ RT @TheEconomist: For environmentalists, the decision over nuclear power is a close contest Japan and American environmentalism: Backing slowly away from the ...‎ - economist.com Twitter - 8 minutes ago

8. ‎	disasternewsco‎ Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor #Japan #nuclear #Fukushima Nuclear-plant worker blogs from inside crippled reactor - thestar.com‎ - thestar.com Twitter - 8 minutes ago

9. ‎	jrptigers‎ Did u know we have 104 Nuclear Power Plants in the US? Even more scary, a bunch of them have the same design as the Fukushima plant.... Twitter - 8 minutes ago

10. ‎	"Reclaim America" by ...‎ ... the only good news is that anyone exposed to excess radiation from the nuclear power plants is now probably much less likely to get cancer. ... - More » A Glowing Report on Radiation - Page 1 - Ann Coulter - Townhall ...‎ - townhall.com Facebook - 8 minutes ago