Enron Mail

From:info@forexnews.com
To:sara.shackleton@enron.com
Subject:Japanese Preview
Cc:
Bcc:
Date:Mon, 11 Mar 2002 16:13:09 -0800 (PST)


[IMAGE] Forums Discuss these points in the Forums: Forexnews Forum T=
echnicals Live Charts Analysis available from: Cornelius Luca J.P. Chorek=
Technical Research Ltd. Charts & News featuring Standard & Poor's =
Interest Rates US: Japan: Eurozone: UK: Switzerland: 1.75% 0.15% 3.=
25% 4.0% 1.25-2.25% [IMAGE] =09 [IMAGE] Japanese Forex Trading Pre=
view March 11, 7:00 PM: EUR/$..0.8758 $/JPY..128.10 GBP/$..1.4196 $/CHF..1=
.6792 Japanese Forex Trading Preview by Darko Pavlovic No key data. As =
repatriation continues ahead of March 31, the end of fiscal year in Japan, =
the yen continues to show resilience vs. the dollar, hovering around 128 le=
vels, despite verbal intervention from officials to step in the forex marke=
t to stem the currency's strength and continued dismal economic data. Besid=
e repatriation Japanese currency got support from another rally in the Nikk=
ei-225 Index, which closed at 11919, its highest level in 7 months. The in=
dex is now up 13% on the year thanks to government regulation to boost dome=
stic equities. These measures include encouraging companies to buy back the=
ir stocks and enforcing rules against short-selling, whereby brokers cannot=
short stocks (sell them with the intention of buying them back at a lower =
price) when the last price move was a down move (downtick). Credit rating a=
gency Moody's made placed a temporary damper on yen sentiment, when it down=
graded the insurance strength ratings of 8 Japanese life insurers to a nega=
tive outlook. Moody's stated a weakening economy, grim outlook for a quick =
recovery and uncertain prospects for additional external support as the rat=
ionale for its action. Markets will eye announcement from the government o=
f asset allocation plans from a pension plan which could sign a rise in for=
eign bond investment. Japanese banks turned net sellers of Japanese govern=
ment bonds for the first time in five years in 2001 due to stock market dec=
line and the introduction of fair value accounting standards. Analysts esti=
mate that if the tendency continues long-term interest rates could express =
upward pressures, putting a further haul on the economy. January core machi=
nery orders fell to15.6% from the previous month on a seasonally adjusted b=
asis, the biggest drop in 15 years due to lower orders from both manufactur=
ers and non-manufacturers. The diffusion index of the Economy Watchers Surv=
ey, which measures the opinions of people concerning the present state of t=
he Japanese economy weigh against with three months earlier, rose 1.2 point=
s from January to 33.1.It is possible that Japanese officials will step up=
their interventionist rhetoric near the 126 level so as to build a floor a=
t the psychologically and technically important level of 125. Technically, =
125.45 is the 50% retracement of the drop from this year's high of 135.15 t=
o the September low of 115.75. 125.10 follows at the-200 day moving average=
. Resistance starts at 129.50 followed by major pressure point at 130.65. =
EUR/USD is trading around 87.55 after German based IWH Institute today rai=
sed Germany's 2002 growth forecast to 0.8% from 0.6%. The Eurozone Q4 GDP =
numbers will finally be released tomorrow at 5 AM, expected to show a 0.7% =
decline from a 0.5% increase in Q3. This would translate into an annual gro=
wth of 1.5% for 2001, compared to 1.2% in the US. At 2 AM, German inflatio=
n figures for February are expected to show a 1.9% rise y/y from 2.3% in Ja=
nuary. Yet, it's unlikely that the figures will prompt much change in the s=
hrinking range of the EUR/USD. Initial support seen at 87.25 backed by 87.0=
0 and 86.75-70. 86.20-25 is the next major support, which lies on the trend=
line support line extending from the 83.50 low thru the 85.63 low. Initial=
upside capped at 87.60 followed by substantial pressure at 88.10--the 50% =
retracement of the 90.63 high thru the 85.63 low. Next major resistance see=
n at the 200-day MA of 88.50 followed by 88.70-80 which is presented by (i)=
the 61.8% retracement of the aforementioned move and (ii) the trendline re=
sistance which extends from the 93.35 high thru the 90.63 high. Oil prices=
stabilized after nearing last week's 6-month highs earlier today, followin=
g heightened fears of US military attack against Iraq. A statement from Ir=
aq today saying UN weapon inspectors would not be allowed to return fuelled=
tensions and fears of a US attack to force compliance. Meanwhile, OPEC sai=
d it would extend its supply cuts into June and would explore the possibili=
ty of keeping the output curbs in the second half of the year. April Brent =
crude oil rose as high as $23.64 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate =
touched $24.40 per barrel. This week, markets should expect further good =
news from the US as they witness the release of the Feb retail sales report=
on Wednesday and the Feb industrial production figures on Friday. Retail s=
ales are expected to have jumped by 0.9% after a 0.2% decline in January wh=
ile industrial production is expected to post its first increase since risi=
ng 0.2% in September 2000. Another reason to upward revisions to US growth =
forecasts in the first half of 2002 is last week's signing of the fiscal st=
imulus in Congress. Both parties finally agreed to launch a $51 billion pac=
kage, which includes the extension of jobless benefits to an additional 13 =
weeks (worth $8.5 billion), thereby extending relief to most workers whose =
6-month jobless insurance will expire this month after having lost their jo=
bs after the September 11 attacks. The package also includes corporate tax =
breaks of as much as 30% for companies with large capital budgets. The bill=
is expected to boost corporate profits and lift GDP growth by about 0.5%. =
=09[IMAGE] Audio Mkt. Analysis Dollar Drifts in Quiet Trading Arti=
cles & Ideas Yen's March Madness Will Dollar be Fuelled against the Euro=
? Articles & Ideas Forex Glossary Economic Indicators Forex Guide=
s Link Library [IMAGE] =09
=09=09[IMAGE][IMAGE] [IMAGE][IMAGE]=09
=09=09 This e-mail is never sent unsolicited. If you wish to unsubscribe f=
rom this or any other Forexnews.com newsletters, please click here . Any =
opinions expressed by representatives of Forexnews.com or its affiliates as=
to the commentary, market information, and future direction of prices of s=
pecific currencies reflect the views of the individual analyst, and do not =
necessarily represent the views of Forexnews.com or its affiliates in any w=
ay. In no event shall Forexnews.com or its affiliates have any liability fo=
r any losses incurred in connection with any decision made, action or inact=
ion taken by any party in reliance upon the information provided in this ma=
terial; or in any delays, inaccuracies, errors in, or omissions of informat=
ion. =09