US industrial production is expected to rise 0.3% in tomorrow’s January report vs. the previous month, according to The Capital Spectator’s median point forecast for several econometric estimates. The median prediction reflects a moderate rebound in growth vs. the previous month’s 0.1% decline.
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Housing starts are expected to decrease to an annual pace of 1.075 million in tomorrow’s update for January, according to The Capital Spectator’s median point forecast for several econometric estimates. The projection represents a slightly lower level of residential construction vs. December’s 1.089 million units.
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This is no way to run a railroad. But the powers that be that run the European currency experiment have a taste for brinkmanship and 11th hour deals to avert a crisis. No one’s better at this task for the simple reason that Europe has more crises than a dog has fleas. It’s anyone’s guess if the current standoff with Greece — yesterday’s negotiations over bailout terms ended in a standoff — will end in tears or a solution. But the news to date makes one thing clear: the Eurozone leadership has been and continues to run a reckless policy. That’s partly due to the wobbly structure that is the currency union, which seems to be designed only for sunny macro weather with no mechanisms for dealing with turbulence. But there’s also plenty of blame to go around with the day-to-day management of the negotiations.
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● Greek impasse weighs on European stocks | MarketWatch
● Eurogroup Grants Greece Time Till Friday To Seek Bailout Extension | RTT
● U.K. Inflation Slows More Than Forecast to Record-Low 0.3% | Bloomberg
● China’s economy to grow about 7% this year: central bank official | Reuters
● Japan Escapes Recession But Q4 GDP Growth Misses Forecasts | WSJ
● German Investor Confidence Rises to One-Year High Before QE | Bloomberg