美国10月贸易逆差缩窄至2009年中以来最低——海外周报第122期

Key Points - The article discusses recent economic data from the US, Japan, and the Eurozone, highlighting mixed signals in employment, inflation, and consumer confidence [2][5][15] - It emphasizes the importance of monitoring economic indicators such as the ADP employment numbers, JOLTs job openings, and ISM manufacturing and services PMIs to gauge economic health [5][15] - The article notes that while US consumer confidence has reached a four-month high, employment figures have shown signs of weakness, indicating potential economic challenges ahead [5][15] Group 1: Important Data Review - US December ADP employment numbers were below expectations, with a growth of 41,000 jobs compared to an expected 50,000 [15] - The US trade deficit narrowed to $29.4 billion in October, significantly lower than the expected $58.5 billion [15] - The ISM services PMI rose to 54.4 in December, exceeding expectations, while the manufacturing PMI fell to 47.9, indicating continued contraction [15] Group 2: Economic Activity Index - The US WEI index fell to 2.13% for the week ending January 3, down from 2.49% the previous week, indicating a decline in economic activity [19] - The German WAI index increased to 0.07% for the week ending January 4, up from 0.05% the previous week, suggesting a slight improvement in economic conditions [19] Group 3: Demand - The US Redbook retail sales year-on-year growth rate decreased to 7.1% for the week ending January 3, down from 7.6% the previous week [23] - The US mortgage rates increased slightly to 6.16% for a 30-year fixed mortgage, while mortgage applications rose, with the MBA market composite index reaching 270.8, a 0.3% increase from the previous week [26][27] Group 4: Employment - The ADP weekly employment numbers showed a decline, with a four-week cumulative increase of 46,000 jobs, down from 70,000 the previous week [32] - Initial jobless claims rose to 208,000 for the week ending January 3, up from 200,000 the previous week [33] - The INDEED job vacancy index increased to a weekly average of 104.8, indicating a rise in job openings [36] Group 5: Prices - The RJ/CRB commodity price index rose to 301.47, reflecting a 1.2% increase from the previous week [42] - US gasoline retail prices fell to $2.68 per gallon, a decrease of 0.3% from the previous week [42] Group 6: Financial Conditions - Financial conditions in the US and Eurozone remain loose, with the Bloomberg financial conditions index for the US rising to 0.863 from 0.795 the previous week [47] - Offshore dollar liquidity showed improvement for the yen against the dollar, while the euro against the dollar deteriorated [49] - The 10-year US-EU government bond yield spread widened to 126.8 basis points, up from 121.5 basis points the previous week [52]