Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Wednesday December 3 Housing and Economic stories


Greek Debt Resumes Pariah Status as U.K. Bonds Are World Beaters - (www.bloomberg.com) “Greece could end up finding itself out in the cold with no safety net underneath for issuing bonds if they don’t secure an extension” of its backstop, said Gianluca Ziglio, executive director of fixed-income research at Sunrise Brokers LLP in London. “Taking this gamble on a political level is something that markets are not liking at all at the moment.” Greek 10-year (GGGB10YR) yields rose 42 basis points, or 0.42 percentage point, this week to 8.35 percent at 5 p.m. London time yesterday. That’s an increase of 29 basis points from Oct. 31. The 2 percent bond due in February 2024 slipped 2.075, or 20.75 euros per 1,000-euro ($1,244) face amount this week, to 68.685. The rate climbed 142 basis points in October, the biggest increase since June 2013.

Dalian iron ore futures hit record low as rout continues ... – (www.reuters.com) Chinese iron ore futures tumbled more than 3 percent to a record low on Tuesday as Beijing's interest rate cut failed to spur optimism in a market hit hard this year by excess supply. The most traded May iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange was down 2.5 percent at 464 yuan ($76) a tonne at 0244 GMT after touching 461 yuan earlier. The low was the weakest level for a most active contract since the bourse launched iron ore futures in October 2013 and piles more pressure on benchmark spot prices that are hovering at their lowest level since 2009. Iron ore futures on the Singapore Exchange also retreated. China's first interest rate cut in more than two years, announced late on Friday, helped iron ore prices stabilise on Monday but that proved short-lived. Analysts say the rate cut is unlikely to have an immediate impact on China's massive steel sector as demand, mainly from the steel-intensive construction sector, slows during winter.

Here Comes $60 Oil as OPEC Tests U.S. Shale: Chart of the Day - (www.bloomberg.com) OPEC’s decision not to try and eliminate an oil-supply glut means the biggest crash in six years won’t stop until prices reach $60 a barrel, according to firms including Nomura Holdings Inc. and Deutsche Bank AG. The CHART OF THE DAY shows how the group supplying 40 percent of the world’s oil has kept pumping at or above its own production limit of 30 million barrels a day even as output in the U.S. climbs to the highest in decades. Crude collapsed into a bear market this year as the U.S. boom contributed to a global surplus that Venezuela estimates at 2 million barrels a day, more than the production of five OPEC members. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which said Nov. 27 it is taking no action to reduce supply, has exceeded its target in all but four of the 34 months since it took effect at the start of 2012, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Swiss Vote on Gold Hoard, Immigration in Economic U-Turn - (www.bloomberg.com)  Switzerland holds three referendums this weekend that have the potential to have an effect on everything from the economy to the central bank and even the country’s international relations. Up for a vote on Nov. 30 is a requirement for the central bank to hold at least 20 percent of its assets in gold, a clampdown on immigration and the abolishment of tax privileges for foreign millionaires. Whilepolls by gfs.bern indicate all three proposals could get rejected, there remains a sizable cohort of undecided voters. Plebiscites are a key feature of Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, and are held nationally and at a municipal level several times a year. Campaigns in the run-up to the latest votes have seen factions throwing out accusations of xenophobia, while there have been warnings that the economy’s potential could be weakened and the Swiss National Bank’s power neutered.

BHP Sees No Slowdown in Iron-Ore Supply Increase as Prices Slump  - (www.bloomberg.com)   BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), the world’s biggest mining company, signaled there will be no slowdown in the drive by global iron-ore producers to boost production even as prices slump. “Even the iron-ore price where it is today can induce more volume,” Jimmy Wilson, BHP’s president of iron ore, said in an interview broadcast today by Australia’s Nine Network. “If that volume doesn’t come from our business, it’s going to come from other businesses around the world and other countries around the world.” Iron ore has plummeted 47 percent this year to near the lowest since 2009 as investment in new mines deepens a global glut. BHP, Rio Tinto Group (RIO) and Vale SA have expanded output inAustralia and Brazil, betting the increase will offset falling prices and force high-cost mines worldwide to close.





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