• Latvian PM hoping parliament will consider new 2009 budget, including cuts, as soon as Monday
  • German May wholesale prices +0.1% m/m, -8.9%, in line with median forecasts of +0.1%, -9.0% respectively. But biggest annual decline in 22 1/2 years
  • Barclays announces receipt of binding offer of $13.5 bln by Blackrock for BGI
  • BOE’s Fisher: Signs UK economy starting to recover, but policymakers must not be complacent. Output likely to fall in Q-2 and there is a “major downside risk” to growth from ongoing problems in the financial sector
  • Eur zone April industrial output -1.9% m/m, -21.6% y/y, much worse than median forecasts of -0.4% and -19.8% respectively. However March data revised up fairly sharply, to -1.4% and -19.3% from previous -2.0% and -20.2%. But still bad
  • Deutsche bank says German, Irish, Nordic banks still look weak. But most European banks would pass a “stress test”

USD pretty much firmer across the board this morning. EUR/USD started off around 1.4070 and enjoyed a very brief sojourn over 1.4100. The pairing was already slipping back when Reuters headlines indicating Deutsche think German, Irish, Nordic banks still look weak (see above) came out and weighed on the euro. Funnily enough I haven’t been able to find an accompanying story, but there we go.

The selling accelerated on the release of much worse than expected euro zone industrial production data (see above), stops just south of 1.4050 were triggered and we reached a session low at 1.4019. We’re presently back up at 1.4035.

Sources report some buy orders lined up at 1.4000 down to 1.3980.

Cable started off well and reached a session high around 1.6580/85, but things soon started turning sour. Cable wasn’t helped by a rally in the EUR/GBP cross, with a UK clearer reportedly buying aggressively down around .8500.

Given the Barclays/Blackrock deal had gone through, one might have expected reports of supportive M&A flows, but nothing was heard.

Cable losses accelerated quickly when cautious comments from BOE’s Fisher(see above) were quickly followed by the much worse than expected euro zone industrial production data which sent the pairing spiralling to a 1.6422 session low. We’ve seen a slight recovery, cable presently back at 1.6445.