- So very encouraging - IMF's Lagarde: euro likely to survive 2012 (Reuters [15])
- Drop Greek bond plan, urges ECB council member (FT [16])
- Soros says EU break-up would be catastrophic (Reuters [17])
- Japanese Banks Get 'Stress Tests' (WSJ [18])
- Hungary Pledges Compromise on IMF Loan (Bloomberg [19])
- Confidence in London property falls (FT [20])
- Fed nears an adoption of an inflation target as Bernanke pushes transparency (Bloomberg [21])
- Seoul and Tokyo seek to ease Iran oil ties (FT [22])
- Irish-Backed Bank Bonds Tempt Buyers Again (Bloomberg [23])
- Pentagon to focus on China and Middle East (FT [24])
European economic highlights:
- Eurozone Business Climate Indicator -0.31 - higher than expected. Consensus -0.48. Previous -0.44. Revised -0.42.
- Eurozone Consumer Confidence -21.1 – higher than expected. Consensus -21.2. Previous -21.2.
- Eurozone Economic Confidence 93.3 – in line with expectations. Consensus 93.3. Previous 93.7. Revised 93.8.
- Eurozone Industrial Confidence -7.1 – higher than expected. Consensus -7.5. Previous -7.3. Revised -7.1.
- Eurozone Services Confidence -2.1 – in line with expectations. Consensus -2.1. Previous -1.7. Revised -1.6.
- Eurozone Retail Sales -0.8% m/m -2.5% y/y – lower than expected. Consensus -0.4% m/m -0.9% y/y. Previous 0.4% m/m -0.4% y/y.
- Eurozone Unemployment Rate 10.3% - in line with expectations. Consensus 10.3%. Previous 10.3%.
- Germany Factory Orders n.s.a. November -4.3% y/y – lower than expected. Consensus -1.2% y/y. Previous 5.4% y/y.
- Germany Factory Orders s.a. for November -4.8% m/m – lower than expected. Consensus -1.6% m/m. Previous 5.2% m/m.
- Switzerland CPI for December -0.2% m/m -0.7% y/y – lower than expected. Consensus -0.1% m/m -0.6% y/y. Previous -0.2% m/m -0.5% y/y.
- Switzerland CPI - EU Harmonised for December 0.3% m/m -0.4% y/y – higher than expected. Consensus -0.4% m/m -0.8% y/y.
- UK New Car Registrations for December -3.7% y/y higher than expected. Previous -4.2% y/y.