Friday, February 03, 2006

Quick Overview

  • U.S. factory orders were up 1.1% in December and up 8.4% for 05.

  • The University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment dipped from 91.5 to 91.2 in January.

  • The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.7%, a 4 1/2-year low as businesses cranked up hiring in January.

  • The ISM index of U.S. services fell from 61.0 to 56.8 in January, still a sign of expansion.

  • Argentina's consumer prices climbed 1.3 percent in January, driven up by rises in tourism, health care and food costs, the Economy Ministry said on Friday.


  • The USDA increased the permissible raw sugar imports for 2006 by 250,000 tons to 1,901,497 tons.

  • An index of services in the Euro zone increased from 56.8 to 57.0 in January, the highest in two years.

  • Eurostat estimated inflation in the Euro zone at 2.4% in January, up from 2.2% in December.

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