Forex News from InstaForex

**InstaForex Gertrude** · 01-06-20, 08:43

Philippines Manufacturing PMI Rises To 40.1 In May - IHS Markit

The manufacturing sector in the Philippines continued to contract in May, albeit at a slower rate, the latest survey from IHS Markit revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 40.1.

That's up from the record low 31.6 in April, although it remains beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, the rates of decline in output and new orders eased but remained sharp.

Employment levels fell steeply again, while output prices ricked higher as cost pressures rose.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 02-06-20, 08:40

Ireland Manufacturing Downturn Continues In May

Ireland's manufacturing sector contracted at a softer pace in May, as the local and global economies remained in lockdown amid coronavirus outbreak, survey data from IHS Markit showed on Tuesday.

The seasonally adjusted AIB factory Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, rose to 39.2 in May from 36.0 in April. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector.

New orders remained weak in the midst of lockdown measures. Employment increased in May, but it signaled the second fastest rate of job shedding in nearly eleven years. Suppliers' delivery time lengthened in May.

Stocks of purchase signaled the slowest rate of input destocking in seven months. New export orders declined further at the second-fastest pace on record.

As many firms remained shut down in May, backlogs of work declined at the fastest rate since September 2011. Purchasing activity declined due to suspended output and fall in demand due to coronavirus pandemic.

On the price front, the survey showed that input prices fell for the third straight month in May and manufacturers reduced their charges for the third month and at the strongest rate since July 2019.

Manufacturers reported overall optimism regarding future output in May, following a record degree of pessimism in April.

"The AIB Irish Manufacturing PMI data for May paint a downbeat picture of the sector for the third month in a row as the lockdowns associated with the coronavirus pandemic continue to depress activity," Oliver Mangan, AIB chief economist said.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 03-06-20, 08:39

Australia Building Approvals Dip 1.8% In April

The total number of building permits issued in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 1.8 percent on month in April, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday - coming in at 15,294.

That beat expectations for a plunge of 15.0 percent following the 4.0 percent drop in March.

On a yearly basis, building permits were up 5.7 percent.

Permits issued for private sector houses rose 2.7 percent on month and 4.9 percent on year to 8,912, while permits issued for private sector dwellings excluding houses fell 8.9 on month but rose 4.0 percent on year to 6,079.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 05-06-20, 08:26

Japan Household Spending Sinks 11.1% On Year In April

The average of household spending in Japan was down 11.1 percent on year in April, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday - coming in at 267, 922 yen.

That beat expectations for a drop of 15.4 percent on year following the 6.0 percent fall in March.

The average of monthly income per household stood at 531,017 yen, up 0.9 percent on year.

On a monthly basis, household spending fell 6.2 percent - also beating expectations for a fall of 8.7 percent after slipping 4.0 percent a month earlier.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 10-06-20, 08:31

China Inflation -0.8% On Month In May

Consumer prices in China tumbled 0.8 percent on month in May, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday - missing expectations for a fall of 0.5 percent following the 0.9 percent drop in April.

On a yearly basis, consumer prices rose 2.4 percent - also shy of forecasts for an increase of 2.7 percent and down sharply from 3.3 percent in the previous month.

The bureau also said that producer prices were down 3.7 percent on year versus expectations of a fall of 3.3 percent following the 3.1 percent slide a month earlier.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 11-06-20, 08:26

UK House Price Balance At 10-Year Low: RICS

The UK house price indicator moved deeper into negative territory in May amid coronavirus pandemic, survey data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, or RICS, showed Thursday.

The house price balance fell to -32 percent in May from -22 percent in April. This was the weakest monthly figure since 2010.

Moreover, near-term price expectations remained downbeat, with the index standing at -43 percent. Further, a net -16 percent forecast prices to fall over the year ahead. The survey showed that there was a slight improvement in the sales outlook as estate agents were permitted to reopen on May 13. Nonetheless, given the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, overall sentiment remained cautions.

The net balance for new buyer enquiries rose to -5 percent in May from a record low of -94 percent in April.

Despite a net balance of -20 percent of contributors reporting that new instructions coming onto the market continued to fall in May, this was noticeably less negative compared to the reading of -97 percent last month, RICS said.

Further, the net balance for near term sales expectations advanced to -4 percent from -58 percent in April.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 12-06-20, 07:00

UK House Price Balance At 10-Year Low: RICS

The UK house price indicator moved deeper into negative territory in May amid coronavirus pandemic, survey data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, or RICS, showed Thursday.

The house price balance fell to -32 percent in May from -22 percent in April. This was the weakest monthly figure since 2010.

Moreover, near-term price expectations remained downbeat, with the index standing at -43 percent. Further, a net -16 percent forecast prices to fall over the year ahead. The survey showed that there was a slight improvement in the sales outlook as estate agents were permitted to reopen on May 13. Nonetheless, given the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, overall sentiment remained cautions.

The net balance for new buyer enquiries rose to -5 percent in May from a record low of -94 percent in April.

Despite a net balance of -20 percent of contributors reporting that new instructions coming onto the market continued to fall in May, this was noticeably less negative compared to the reading of -97 percent last month, RICS said.

Further, the net balance for near term sales expectations advanced to -4 percent from -58 percent in April.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 16-06-20, 08:29

Euro Little Changed After Eurozone Trade Data

At 5.00 am ET Monday, Eurostat has published euro area foreign trade figures for April. The euro changed little against its major rivals after the data.

The euro was trading at 120.83 against the yen, 1.1261 against the greenback, 1.0708 against the franc and 0.8981 against the pound around 5:05 am ET.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 17-06-20, 08:36

New Zealand Has NZ$1.6 Billion Current Account Shortfall

New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted current account deficit of NZ$1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2020, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday.

That missed expectations for a surplus of NZ$1.482 billion but was an improvement over the NZ$2.66 billion shortfall in the three months prior.

The seasonally adjusted goods deficit narrowed to NZ$213 million, while the services surplus narrowed to NZ$983 million.

The primary income deficit widened to NZ$2.2 billion and the financial account recorded a net outflow of NZ$7.7 billion.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 19-06-20, 08:41

Australia Retail Sales Rebound At Record Pace In May

Australia's retail sales expanded in May at the fastest pace in the 38 year history of the series, after the easing of coronavirus containment measures, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Friday.

Retail sales grew by 16.3 percent on a monthly basis in May, the biggest on record, following a record decline of 17.7 percent in April.

Turnover rose 5.3 percent from the same period last year.

There were large increases in turnover in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing and cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services, as restrictions eased throughout the month.

Data showed that the monthly rise in clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing exceeded 100 percent but remained more than 20 percent from last year.

Food retailing rose 7.2 percent from April. At the same time, perishable goods turnover advanced 7.0 percent and non-perishable goods turnover gained 3.8 percent. and All other products turnover gained 5.8 percent in May.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 25-06-20, 08:51

New Zealand Trade Surplus NZ$1.3 Billion In May

New Zealand posted a merchandise trade surplus of NZ$1.3 billion in May, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday - following the NZ$1.267 billion surplus in April.

Exports were down an annual 6.1 percent or NZ$350 million to NZ$5.39 billion.

Imports plummeted 25.6 percent or NZ$1.4 billion to NZ$4.14 billion.

In the year ended May 2020, exports gained 1.3 percent or NZ$0.8 billion to NZ$60.1 billion. Imports fell 5.4 percent or NZ$3.5 billion to NZ$61.4 billion - resulting in a trade deficit of NZ$1.3 billion.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 29-06-20, 08:57

Malaysia Exports Fall More Than Expected In May

Malaysia's exports declined at faster than expected rate in May, data from the Department of Statistics revealed on Thursday.

Exports fell 25.5 percent year-on-year to MYR 62.7 billion in May, following a 23.9 percent decrease in April. Economists had expected a 19.9 percent decline.

Exports to India, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, the European Union, Hong Kong and Vietnam lowered in May, while those to China increased.

Imports declined 30.4 percent annually to MYR 52.3 billion in May, following a 23.6 percent fall in the previous month. This was the biggest fall since January 2009. Economists had forecast a fall of 19.8 percent.

Consequently, the trade balance registered a surplus of MYR 10.4 billion in May.

On a monthly basis, exports fell 3.2 percent in May and imports declined 23.6 percent.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 30-06-20, 08:38

New Zealand ANZ Business Sentiment Rises Less Than Estimated

New Zealand business sentiment improved less than estimated in June, final data from ANZ showed on Tuesday.

The business confidence index rose to -34.4 in June from -41.8 in May. However, the score was weaker the preliminary estimate of -33.0.

ANZ said a vigorous bounce out of lockdown was evident in the numbers, but the levels were consistent with the assessment that the recession is just starting.

"It is encouraging to see a bounce in sentiment in the retail sector, and these tallies with anecdotes we are hearing about households rushing out to spend the involuntary savings accumulated during lockdown, as well as the money that had been squirreled away, earmarked for an overseas holiday," ANZ said.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 02-07-20, 09:09

European Economics Preview: Eurozone Unemployment Data Due

Unemployment data from euro area is due on Thursday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's unemployment data for June is due. The number of people out of work had increased 26,600 in May.

In the meantime, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office is scheduled to release foreign trade figures for April.

At 4.00 am ET, unemployment data is due from Italy. Economists forecast the jobless rate to climb to 7.7 percent in May from 6.3 percent in April. At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is scheduled to release euro area unemployment and producer price data. The jobless rate is expected to rise to 7.7 percent in May from 7.3 percent in April.

Eurozone producer prices are forecast to decline 4.8 percent annually, faster than the 4.5 percent drop seen in April.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 03-07-20, 08:43

China's Service Sector Grows Most Since 2010

China's service sector expanded at the fastest pace in more than a decade in June, driven by strong orders as measures related to the coronavirus pandemic were relaxed, survey data from IHS Markit showed Friday.

The Caixin services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 58.4 in June from 55.0 in May. The rate of expansion was the fastest since April 2010. A score above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.

Total new orders advanced at the quickest pace since August 2010 driven by improving market conditions and new export work expanded for the first time since January.

Firms widely reported that overall market conditions had continued to improve following an easing of measures related to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Nonetheless, service providers reported another fall in workforce numbers. As new business increased, outstanding workloads logged a renewed rise in June. On the price front, the survey showed a slight drop in input prices at the end of the second quarter. At the same time, prices charged by services companies were broadly unchanged in June, thereby ending a six-month period of decline.

Service providers expressed stronger optimism towards the 12-month outlook for business activity in June.

The composite output index rose to 55.7 in June from 54.5 in May, to signal a sharp and accelerated increase in overall Chinese business activity.

"Although businesses were optimistic about the economic outlook, they remained cautious about increasing hiring, with employment in both the manufacturing and services sectors shrinking," Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group said. Addressing the employment problem requires not only macro policies to further promote work resumption, but also more targeted relief measures introduced by governments to tide companies over, said Wang.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 06-07-20, 08:40

Hong Kong Private Sector PMI Improves To 49.6 In June - IHS Markit

The private sector in Hong Kong continued to contract in June, albeit at a much slower rate, the latest survey from IHS Markey revealed on Monday with a PMI score of 49.6.

That's up from 43.9 in May, although it remains beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, output and new orders fell at the slowest rate in more than two years. Employment levels were broadly stable and input cost inflation returned.

Firms were less pessimistic about the year-ahead outlook during June than in May, with confidence rising to a five-month high.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 09-07-20, 09:03

European Economics Preview: Germany Foreign Trade Data Due

Foreign trade data from Germany is due on Thursday, headlining light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to publish Germany's foreign trade figures for May. Exports are forecast to grow 13.8 percent and imports to rise 12 percent on a monthly basis. The trade surplus is seen at EUR 5.2 billion versus EUR 3.2 billion in April.

In the meantime, Finland's external trade data for May is due.

At 3.00 am ET, foreign trade data is due from Hungary. The trade deficit is expected to narrow to EUR 281 million from EUR 561 million in

April. At 5.00 am ET, Greece unemployment data for April is due.

At 6.00 am ET, the Central Statistics Office publishes Ireland's consumer prices for June. Prices had decreased 0.5 percent on year in May.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 10-07-20, 08:41

European Economics Preview: France Industrial Production Data Due

Industrial production from France is due on Friday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Statistics Norway publishes consumer and producer prices for June. Inflation is expected to rise slightly to 1.4 percent from 1.3 percent in May.

In the meantime, foreign trade and consumer prices from Romania are due. At 2.45 am ET, France's statistical office Insee is slated to release industrial production for May. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 15.1 percent month-on-month in May, reversing a 20.1 percent fall in April.

At 3.00 am ET, the Czech Statistical Office releases consumer prices for June. Inflation is forecast to remain unchanged at 2.9 percent.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's Istat publishes industrial production data for May. Economists forecast production to climb 22.8 percent on month, reversing a 19.1 percent drop in April.

At 5.00 am ET, consumer prices and industrial output data is due from Greece.

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**InstaForex Gertrude** · 14-07-20, 03:56

Singapore GDP Plummets 41.2% On Quarter In Q2

Singapore's gross domestic product tumbled a seasonally adjusted 41.2 percent on quarter in the second quarter of 2020, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in Tuesday's advance estimate.

That missed forecasts for a drop of 37.4 percent following the upwardly revised 3.3 percent contraction in the previous three months (originally -4.7 percent).

On a yearly basis, Singapore's GDP sank 12.6 percent - again shy of expectations for 10.5 percent following the upwardly revised 0.3 percent fall in the three months prior (originally -0.7 percent).

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**IFX Yvonne** · 15-07-20, 14:01

Gold Subdued As Equities Edge Higher Gold prices were flat to slightly lower on Wednesday and equities edged higher as traders cheered positive updates on a potential Covid-19 vaccine and pinned hopes on EU stimulus.

Biotech firm Moderna said its experimental vaccine for Covid-19, mRNA-1273, showed it was safe and produced strong immune responses in all 45 patients in an ongoing early-stage human trial.

EU leaders are set to meet later this week for an extraordinary summit and it is expected that they will agree on a recovery fund of 750 billion euros for pandemic-hammered economies.

Both spot gold and U.S. gold futures were down 0.1 percent at $1,811.85 per ounce and $1,811.95, respectively. Diplomatic tensions between the United States and China as well as concerns over the recovery of the global economy helped limit the downside for the yellow metal.

After U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an end to Hong Kong's special status under U.S. law, Beijing vowed retaliatory sanctions against U.S. individuals and entities.

"Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs and no foreign country has the right to interfere," China's foreign ministry said.

U.S. Federal Reserve officials warned that the U.S. economy will recover more slowly than expected, as cases continue to surge across the country leading many states to impose restrictions on movement and stay-at-home advisories.