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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 30-08-17, 03:27

MEXICO: Country Will Seek 'Plan B' If Trump Pulls U.S. Out Of NAFTA

Threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during renegotiations are encouraging Mexico to create a "Plan B," said the Mexican Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal.

According to him, Mexico needs to be prepared to the possibility of the United States walking away from the NAFTA deal.

"The best thing Mexico can do is to have an alternate, clear, pragmatic, plan to tackle something that is not our goal, but that may be the result of a process that does not go ahead. We need to be prepared for a scenario in which the United States or its president leaves the NAFTA," Villarreal said in an interview with the El Economista newspaper.

According to him, Mexico must advance in its commercial diversification with South American countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, with the European Union, the Pacific Alliance, and other Asian countries.

Trump said there was little chance that the NAFTA renegotiation, currently underway between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., would be successful. The president attributed the potential failure of the negotiations to Mexico, claiming that its Southern neighbor would be hampering a new agreement.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 30-08-17, 03:53

Wall Street Recovers as Investors Brush off North Korea Tensions

U.S. stocks recovered on Tuesday following North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan which jolted global markets.

The missile was the first Pyongyang has fired over Japan's main island since 2009 and the latest in a series of direct provocations that have briefly added pressure on financial markets in recent weeks.

The Dow Jones industrial average pared earlier losses to close 0.26 percent higher to 21,865.37, as United Technologies and Boeing contributed the most gains. The 30-stock index dropped as much as 134.82 points earlier in the session.

The S&P 500 was in positive territory in afternoon trade, finishing the session 0.1 percent higher at 2,446.30, with industrials leading four sectors higher. The Nasdaq composite also trimmed losses to end 0.3 percent higher at 6,301.89 after Apple notched a record peak.

United Technologies rose 2.9 percent to $118.70 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the aircraft-equipment maker was near a deal to buy Rockwell Collins for over $20 billion.

Tech firms within the S&P 500 added 0.4 percent, led by Micron Technology, which climbed 1.3 percent, while Akamai Technologies advanced 1.3 percent.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, briefly increased over 20 percent before holding nearly 4 percent higher.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 31-08-17, 03:39

Japan Industrial Production Slides 0.8% In July

Industrial output in Japan fell a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent on month in July, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Thursday.

That missed forecasts for a decline of 0.3 percent following the 2.2 percent spike in June.

On a yearly basis, industrial production climbed 4.7 percent - again missing forecasts for 5.2 percent and down from 5.5 percent in the previous month.

Upon the release of the data, the METI maintained its assessment of industrial production saying was that it shows signs of picking up.

Industries that were down in July included business oriented machinery, electrical machinery and chemicals - while electronic parts, ceramics and petroleum products were up.

Shipments were down 0.7 percent on month and up 4.1 percent on year.

Industries that were down included business oriented machinery, electrical machinery and iron and steel - while electronic parts, petroleum products and transport equipment were up.

Inventories were down 1.2 percent on month and 2.4 percent on year.

Industries that saw decreased production included transport equipment, petroleum products and electrical machinery.

Industries that were up included non-ferrous metals, chemicals and electronic parts.

According to the survey of production forecast, industrial output is expected to rise 6.0 percent in August and fall 3.1 percent in September.

Industries that are expected to contribute to the increase in August include business oriented machinery, transport equipment and electrical machinery.

Industries expected to contribute to the decline in September include business oriented machinery, communications equipment and electronic parts.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 31-08-17, 04:12

Wall Street Advanced as S&P 500 Hits 4-Day Winning Streak

U.S. stocks climbed on Wednesday following stronger-than-expected U.S. economic growth which counterbalanced concerns on heightened tensions between the United States and North Korea as well as uncertainty in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.12 percent to 21,892.43, as Goldman Sachs contributed the most gains to the index.

The S&P 500 rose 0.46 percent to end at 2,457.59, with information technology leading eight sectors higher. The S&P also marked a four-day winning streak, its longest since late May.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite advanced 1.05 percent to 6,368.31, leading other major U.S. indexes, and touched a three-day winning streak.

Netflix lifted the Nasdaq higher as it climbed over three percent after Bernstein analysts said that Disney pulling its content from the platform will not impede the stock performance of Netflix.

Apple also contributed to the Nasdaq's gains, gaining 0.2 percent to notch a record peak earlier in the session.

Other major stocks in the tech sector also advanced, including Facebook and Google-parent Alphabet. The sector is by far the best-performing sector in 2017, gaining over 20 percent.

Among shares in corporate news, Tax preparation service provider H&R Block dropped 8.3 percent to $26.81 after it posted a larger-than-expected loss. Chipmaker Analog Devices rose 5.2 percent at $83.72 after its quarterly earnings and forecast surpassed expectations.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 04-09-17, 04:51

S&P Maintains Sweden's Sovereign Ratings

Standard & Poor's maintained the sovereign ratings of Sweden at 'AAA' with 'stable' outlook and upgraded Lithuania's rating outlook to positive.

The agency said Sweden benefits from high institutional effectiveness, substantial fiscal buffers, and ample monetary policy flexibility.

The stable outlook reflects the assessment that over the next two years, Sweden's key fiscal, external, economic, and monetary metrics will remain among the strongest of the 131 sovereigns rated by S&P. Despite political fragmentation, S&P expects the Swedish government to maintain fiscal discipline and to pay down public debt. The transparent institutional setting and robust economic fundamentals cushion uncertainties from prospects of snap elections or re-formation of government, the agency said.

According to S&P, Sweden's booming economy is set to motor on at a strong pace through 2017-2018, while high household debt continues to loom as a key risk.

As growth in house prices has exceeded that of disposable income and inflation, a house price correction could lead to a marked reduction in consumption, hampering the Sweden's economic performance and burdening the financial sector, S&P said.

In a separate communique, S&P said the outlook on Lithuania's rating was revised to positive from stable on expectations that Lithuania's economy will post strong balanced growth over the medium term.

The 'A-' ratings on Lithuania reflect the country's economic prospects over the next two years, although it has one of the lowest GDP per capita ratios in the Eurozone.

S&P expects Lithuania's open economy to perform well, fueled by firming exports, rising consumption and strong investment activity, supported by new EU financing cycle.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 04-09-17, 06:10

Stock Futures Drop on North Korea Tensions

U.S. equity index futures fell at the open on Sunday, with stock traders being cautious after news that North Korea had raised diplomatic tensions by conducting what it claimed was a test of a hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile.

On Sunday, Pyongyang conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, in what appears to be a tense escalation of North Korea's stand-off with the United States and its allies.

S&P 500 e-mini futures dropped 0.36 percent as electronic trading resumed on Sunday evening. The decline revealed that traders are cautious but not completely threatened by news on North Korea. Volumes were higher than average, as 30,2000 contracts changed hands.

The 10-year Treasury futures were 0.16 percent higher on the day.

“Traders have been burned by overreacting to the news out of North Korea multiple times over the last month – most recently after missiles were shot over Japanese territory,” according to Nicholas Young, a partner at Conventus Capital LLC in New York. “Unless we get a real response from the U.S., the market seems desensitized to these items.”

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 05-09-17, 04:19

Australia Current Account Deficit Balloons To A$9.562 Billion

Australia had a current account deficit of A$9.562 billion in the second quarter of 2017, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

That missed forecasts for a shortfall of A$7.5 billion following the downwardly revised A$4.754 billion deficit in the first quarter (originally -A$3.1 billion).

Net exports of GDP came in at 0.3, topping expectations for a flat reading following the 0.7 decline in the three months prior.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 06-09-17, 03:43

Singapore PMI Climbs To 53.2 In August - Nikkei

Singapore's private sector continued to expand in August, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Wednesday with a PMI score of 53.2.

That's up from 51.3 in July, and it moves farther above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, there were faster rises in both output and total new orders, although lower employment persisted.

Firms cut prices despite rising cost inflation.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 07-09-17, 03:41

COLOMBIA: Colcap Rises 0.15%, Boosted Again By Bancolombia Performance

Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, rose 0.15% Wednesday, closing at 1,507.42 points, driven by oil prices abroad and Bancolombia's shares.

Felipe Espitia, an analyst at Alianza Valores, said Bancolombia's shares rallied after yesterday's profit-taking to resume the bullish trend they had been showing since the end of last week, boosted by the rebalancing in the FTSE index, in which it will take part from September 15.

Meanwhile, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said today that the recent increase in shares traded on the local stock exchange was a result of greater confidence in the country and support of investors for the good performance and prospects of the economy.

The shares of Avianca (+2.76%), Preferencial Bancolombia (+1.55%), Bancolombia (+1.24%), Cemex (+1.22%), Canacol (+1.11%), and Ecopetrol (+0.36%) rose, while ETB (-2.17%), Sura (-1.32%), and Cemargos (-0.94%).

The locally traded U.S. dollar closed at 2,913.70 Colombian pesos, marking a 0.69% fall, due to a rebound in oil prices abroad.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 07-09-17, 04:24

Wall Street Advanced as Trump Signals Support for Debt Limit

U.S. stocks climbed after two top Democratic leaders said President Donald Trump will support a debt ceiling extension and government funding plan. Energy shares were also higher as stocks rebounded from a day-earlier selloff.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.25 percent to 21,807.64, as Home Depot and Chevron contributed the most gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.31 percent to 2,465.54, with energy and consumer discretionary among the best performers. The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.28 percent to 6,393.31, with some large-cap stocks, such as Netflix and Facebook, regaining ground.

The energy sector climbed 1.6 percent, for its largest single-day gain in two months, as oil prices increased. Oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron both gained two percent which buoyed the S&P 500 and the Dow.

Financials were up 0.2 percent following their biggest one-day decline since mid May. Nine of 11 major sectors closed in the green.

Vacation and timeshare stocks also dropped as investors focused on Category 5 Hurricane Irma. Shares of Hilton Grand Vacations fell 1.44 percent and Marriott also dropped nearly one percent.

United Continental Holdings and Newell Brands were among the worst performers in the S&P 500.

Airline company United trimmed its unit revenue and pre-tax margin guidance for this quarter, citing Hurricane Harvey. Newell Brands wrote in a statement that “nearly all” of its resin suppliers in Louisiana and Texas are shut down due to Hurricane Harvey.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 12-09-17, 03:53

PERU: Mining Investment Rises 1.5%, Interrupting Three Years Of Decline

Peru's mining sector investments between January and July 2017 reached US$ 2.372 billion, a 1.5% growth compared to the same period of the previous year.

It was also the first increase since May 2014, according to the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Almost all mining investment items posted increases in the period: exploration (+25.2%), mining equipment (+25.1%), preparation (+23.6%), infrastructure (+22%), equipment (+12%) and investments in operation (+10.5%).

Mining exploration investments totaled US$ 237 million.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 13-09-17, 04:59

Wall Street Gains as Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq End at Records

U.S. equities advanced to all-time peaks on Tuesday as financials received a lift from rising yields. Wall Street also priced in comments from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on tax reform.

Investors paid attention to Washington after Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said he is “hopeful” that tax reform will be accomplished by year's end and that the administration is contemplating on backdating reform to Jan. 1.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended at 22,118.86, notching a record finish. Goldman Sachs contributed the most to advances, with DowDuPont being among the best-performing stocks in the index, finishing 2.5 percent higher.

The S&P 500 advanced 0.3 percent, hitting intraday and closing records. The index ended the session at 2,496.48. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3 percent at 6,454.28, a record closing peak, after briefly declining.

Financials climbed over one percent, with six major lenders higher between 1.5 percent and 2.6 percent, after Goldman Sachs revealed a growth plan that could contribute almost $5 billion in revenue annually.

Shares of McDonald's dropped over three percent on a report that a research company had raised concerns regarding its third-quarter sales.

Apple held its annual consumer products event, where it unveiled three new iPhone models and an Apple watch. Its shares fell 0.4 percent, after fluctuating between gains and losses for most of the session. For the year, Apple soared around 40 percent.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 14-09-17, 03:31

VENEZUELA: ANC Dismisses European Call For Sanctions

Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly (ANC) rejected the European Parliament call for sanctions against the country and its condemnation to the election held on July 30 in the South American country.

"From this empowered and sovereign National Constituent Assembly, we reject all attempts to intervene in Venezuela. We repudiate all actions against our homeland aimed at its intervention," said the ANC chairwoman Delcy Rodr?guez during the session, according to the Venezuelan News Agency.

Earlier, the European Parliament stated that "does not recognize these elections nor the actions or decisions adopted by the recently constituted Assembly due to its lack of legitimacy."

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 14-09-17, 04:23

European Stocks Flat as Miners Drop, Apple Suppliers Add Pressure

European markets finished relatively flat on Wednesday, as a mixed performance from overseas markets and a sharp drop in mining stocks added pressure on the region.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.02 percent lower, while sectors pointed in different directions. The French CAC 40 and German DAX finished on a high, ending 0.17 and 0.23 percent respectively. A decline in London-listed miners weighed on the FTSE 100, which ended 0.28 percent lower.

Basic resources stocks led declines, as profit-taking hit metal prices. The sector dropped 1.75 percent after commodity traders claim an emergence of funds offloaded copper and had failed to carry into the market, according to a report from Reuters.

Anglo American, Antofagasta, BHP Billiton and Glencore all closed lower by two percent or more, on the back of a drop in copper and nickel prices.

Chipmakers supplying to Apple were among the worst performers, with AMS falling 3.9 percent, Dialog Semiconductor dropped 1.6 percent and STMicro rose 0.1 percent.

Traders said their shares were weighed down by Apple's new $999 iPhone X that will ship later than expected, on November 3. The price tag could also pull down demand for the device in markets like China.

Chipmakers have been the best performing among tech stocks this 2017, accounting for a large part of the sector's outperformance. Shares of AMS have gained 165 percent year-to-date.

Looking to media stocks, France's Vivendi, jumped towards the top of the benchmark after UBS upgraded its stock rating for the company to "buy" from "neutral". Vivendi shares rose 2.78 percent.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 18-09-17, 04:41

Australia New Motor Vehicle Sales Unchanged In August

The total number of new motor vehicle sales in Australia was flat on a seasonally adjusted basis in August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Monday - coming in at 99,564.

That follows the 2.0 percent decline in July.

Sales for sports utility vehicles added 0.8 percent on month, while sales for other vehicles gained 0.7 percent and passenger vehicles fell 0.4 percent.

By region, sales in the Northern Territory were up 0.9 percent on month, and down 0.6 percent in Tasmania.

On a yearly basis, sales climbed 1.7 percent after rising 1.8 percent in the previous month.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 18-09-17, 06:29

Northrop Grumman Nears Agreement to Procure Orbital - Source

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. is near a deal to purchase Orbital ATK Inc. for over $7.5 billion, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the transaction. An announcement could come as soon as Monday, as stated in the report.

Northrop Grumman declined to comment and Orbital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A merger could expand Northrop's portfolio of aerospace and defense electronics while supporting its expertise in composites and rocket propulsion as it goes up against Boeing Co. to replace the U.S. ground-based nuclear defense system.

Northrop is valued at $46.5 billion, while Orbital is valued at $6.3 billion. The acquisition price could not be immediately specified, but could surpass $7.5 billion if a typical premium was attached to it, according to Wall Street Journal.

Orbital competes to lift payloads to space with SpaceX Exploration Technologies Corp.'s Falcon 9 and United Launch Alliance's Atlas family of rockets.

The potential transaction comes as growing tensions with North Korea have put more attention on defense systems.

Northrop Chief Executive Officer Wesley Bush told investors in its second-quarter earnings call in July that he was looking for acquisition opportunities to broaden the contractor's business. It would mark a change in direction for a company that has focused on shareholder returns through stock buybacks and dividends.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 19-09-17, 04:06

VENEZUELA: Country Quotes Oil In Chinese Yuan After U.S. Sanctions

Venezuela has decided to receive payments for its oil exports in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The move is a reaction to the recent sanctions imposed by the United States government against the South American country.

This week, oil was quoted for the first time in Chinese yuan by the Venezuelan Ministry of Petroleum, at 306.26 yuan per barrel, equivalent to US$ 46.75.

The new system, launched in early September, "is based on the use of freely convertible currencies, such as the yuan, the euro, the Japanese yen, rupees (from India) and international. To break the dollar's chains as an oppressive currency," Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro said, quoted by the official Venezuelan News Agency.

In mid-August, the U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree imposing a sanctions package on Venezuela that bans negotiations on new government-issued debt and assets from state-owned oil company PDVSA.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 20-09-17, 04:02

Japan August Trade Surplus Y113.642 Billion

Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 113.642 billion yen in August, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

That beat forecasts for a surplus of 104.4 billion yen, although it was down from 418.8 billion yen in July.

Exports climbed 18.1 percent on year to 6.278 trillion yen, beating forecasts for a gain of 14.3 percent and up from 13.4 percent in the previous month.

Exports to Asia climbed 19.9 percent on year to 3.510 trillion yen, while exports to China alone advanced an annual 25.8 percent to 1.218 trillion yen.

Exports to the United States gained 21.8 percent on year to 1.183 trillion yen and exports to the European Union added an annual 13.7 percent to 671.783 billion yen.

Imports picked up an annual 15.2 percent to 6.164 trillion yen versus expectations for 11.6 percent and down from 16.3 a month earlier.

Imports from Asia jumped 15.2 percent on year to 2.995 trillion yen, while imports from China alone gained an annual 11.0 percent to 1.458 trillion yen.

Imports from the United States were up 5.7 percent to 648.748 billion yen, while imports from the European Union gained 12.3 percent to 756.342 billion yen.

The adjusted trade surplus was 367.3 billion yen, missing expectations for 404.7 billion yen and up from 363.1 billion yen in July.

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**IFX Yvonne** · 21-09-17, 08:03

Gold Falls to 3-Week Low, Weighed Down by Fed Outlook

Gold prices dropped to its weakest level in more than three weeks on Thursday as the stronger U.S. dollar and the increased chances of another Federal Reserve interest rate rise this year have reduced demand.

Spot gold fell 0.2 percent at $1,298.61 per ounce, after earlier falling to its lowest since late August at $1,295.65.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery shed one percent to $1,302.10 per ounce.

The precious metal initially moved higher in the minutes ahead of the Fed's statement, then reversed course and dropped. It briefly plunged below the $1,300 mark that traders had viewed as psychological support. Bullion reached $1,295.81 per ounce, the lowest since Aug. 28.

According to Bill O'Neill, co-founder of Logic Advisors, speculative investors had increased their net long position in gold for nine consecutive weeks, making the market vulnerable to more selling.

The dollar firmed as Asian shares fell marginally following the Fed's announcement to begin reducing its balance sheet and indicated one more rate rise in 2017.

U.S. allies recently said that enforcing international sanctions on North Korea, and not mere dialogue, was the key to getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

**InstaForex Gertrude** · 26-09-17, 03:55

VENEZUELA: Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Lima Declaration

The Foreign Ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru have reaffirmed the Lima Declaration, in which they pledge to joint efforts to solve the political crisis in Venezuela. The decision came at a meeting in New York last week.

In a statement released by the Mexican Foreign Ministry, the signatories regretted that Venezuela maintains "the breach of the democratic order, since its government violates constitutional norms, the will of the people and inter-American values, crackdown political dissent, hold prisoners and violates human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals."

They also expressed "support and solidarity to the democratically elected National Assembly, as well as their commitment to enforce non-recognition of the acts of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), and to continue the implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to Venezuela."

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