April in Figures
April 30, 2013
The yen weakened additionally in April, but the dollar failed to catapult above the key JPY 100 level. The dollar fell against European currencies, most commodity-sensitive currencies and the Chinese yuan. A more aggressive-than-anticipated Bank of Japan stimulus announced shortly after the start of the month was meant in large part to depress longer-term interest rates, but the 10-year JGB yield paradoxically closed six basis points higher on the month — all the more so since long-term yields dropped in the other economies monitored in this feature. Three-month interest rates were virtually unchanged and at very low levels in the month. Commodities performed poorly in April, but stocks extended uptrends in most instances. Japan’s Nikkei posted an impressive double-digit advance. The other gains were only moderate, and Canada proved an exception to the rule, losing 2.3% because of the economy’s sensitivity to commodity price trends.
| 10-Yr Yield | 03/29/13 | 04/30/13 | Chg vs End-Mar |
| U.S. | 1.85% | 1.67% | -18 Basis Points |
| Germany | 1.29% | 1.22% | -7 |
| Japan | 0.55% | 0.61% | +6 |
| U.K. | 1.77% | 1.69% | -8 |
| Canada | 1.87% | 1.69% | -18 |
| Switzerland | 0.72% | 0.66% | -6 |
| 3-month euros | Chg vs End-Mar | ||
| U.S. | 0.28% | 0.28% | 0 Basis Points |
| Euroland | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0 |
| Japan | 0.16% | 0.16% | 0 |
| U.K. | 0.51% | 0.50% | -1 |
| Canada | 1.18% | 1.17% | -1 |
| Swiss | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0 |
| FX | Pct Chg in USD | ||
| EUR/USD | 1.2819 | 1.3167 | -2.6% |
| USD/JPY | 94.19 | 97.44 | +3.5% |
| USD/CHF | 0.9491 | 0.9294 | -2.1% |
| GBP/USD | 1.5192 | 1.5535 | -2.2% |
| AUD/USD | 1.0408 | 1.0369 | +0.4% |
| NZD/USD | 0.8437 | 0.8563 | -1.5% |
| USD/CAD | 1.0175 | 1.0072 | -1.0% |
| USD/CNY | 6.2105 | 6.1645 | -0.7% |
| Equities | Chg vs End-Mar | ||
| S&P 500 | 1569 | 1598 | +1.8% |
| Nasdaq | 3268 | 3329 | +1.9% |
| Djia | 14579 | 14840 | +1.8% |
| Dax | 7795 | 7914 | +2.4% |
| Nikkei | 12398 | 13861 | +11.8% |
| Ftse | 6412 | 6430 | +0.3% |
| Canada TSE | 12750 | 12457 | -2.3% |
| Swiss SMI | 7814 | 7902 | +1.1% |
| Commodities | Pct Change | ||
| Oil, $ per barrel | 97.23 | 93.14 | -4.2% |
| Gold, $ per ounce | 1594.80 | 1476.70 | -7.4% |
Copyright Larry Greenberg 2013. All rights reserved. No secondary distribution without express permission.
Tags: bonds, commodities, Dollar, stocks, Yen
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