Global Investing

Markets starting to worry about an end to QE/LTRO liquidity?

Forward looking PMI data is starting to show a divergence between the UK and the euro zone:

German factory orders, which tend to lead GDP growth, fell 6.1% in February from the previous year.

A good sign for UK growth – activity in Britain’s construction sector unexpectedly accelerated in March, the Markit/CIPS  Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 56.7 from February’s 54.3.

An update on cross-asset performance this year as we head into the 2nd quarter:

Equity risk premium by region:

ISM report on U.S. manufacturing shows PMI at 53.4 in March against 52.4 in February:

Euro zone unemployment rose to 10.8% in February, with youth unemployment in Spain reaching 50.5%

China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) hit an 11-month high with a stronger-than-expected reading but a separate private survey by HSBC, which focuses more on smaller factories than the large state-owned enterprises captured in the official data, painted a gloomier picture:

The correlation between individual country equity indices is rising again:

U.S. consumer spending jumps in February but income growth tepid.

Apple vs. RIM market value:

OECD growth forecasts released today show the euro zone countries lagging behind other G7 countries:

Reuters latest asset allocation polls showed global investors cut government debt from portfolios in March:

Germany’s unemployment rate fell to a record low of 6.7% in March, bucking the trend in other euro zone countries:

Spanish stocks jump out as the only only major equity market to miss out on the strong first quarter:

Euro zone money supply growth picked up in February but growth in private sector loans dipped.

The UK faces bigger hill to climb after fourth quarter GDP cut.

China’s trade balance plunged $31.5 billion into the red in February as imports swamped exports.  It followed reports on Friday that inflation cooled in February while retail sales and industrial output fell below forecast, all pointing to a gradual cooling.

Investors ploughed more money into hedge funds over the past month as performance has picked up after last year’s losses.

Final Q4 Italian GDP growth came in at -0.7%q/q. This chart showing GDP vs the Markit purchasing managers’ index shows the current recession may continue into this year.