Key Points:
New Zealand has declared a national emergency- the third time ever amid the devastation caused by cyclone Gabrielle.
US CPI released this morning coming in stronger than hoped at 6.4% year on year compared to forecast of 6.2%.
Japanese growth for the fourth quarter came up short at 0.2% vs projected 0.5%.
The Fed now expect further rate rises if Retail Sales comes in hot tomorrow.
The European Central Union is predicting interest rates to go higher than 3.5% with a March 50 point hike now priced in.
Australian February Westpac Consumer Sentiment Index jumps from -1 to +6 for January.
NZ first quarter inflation forecast falls from 3.62% to 3.3%.
UK’s unemployment remained unchanged at 3.7% in December.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) has been the strongest currency this year while the Japanese Yen (JPY) has been the worst performer.