• Commodities continue to plunge: oil falls to $60; gold sheds $20 intraday; CRB index slumps 2.25%
  • China cancels cargo of Aussie coal; sends shock-wave through market; calls reflation trade into question
  • IMF raises global growth forecast to 2.5% in 2010; revised from 1.9% previously
  • US gasoline and distillate inventories rise sharply
  • OMB deputy: No one talking about second US stimulus package in Obama administration
  • Medvedev: Oil prices can’t be controlled administratively; should be between $70-80/bbl
  • US 10-year notes in high demand; $19 bln sold at 3.365% yield, bid-to-cover of 3.28 (very high)
  • G8 statement contains no currency mention; surplus countries should spur domestic demand/deficit nations domestic savings.
  • US consumer credit falls much less than expected in May, -$3.2 bln versus expectations of $9.5 decline
  • S&P 500 closes down 0.2%, erasing 1.25% slide late in session.

USD/JPY enjoyed (maybe enjoyed is not the right word) a rare day in the spot light today, slumping sharply as fears that global reflation may not be panning out as expected. A cryptic report that China had canceled a coal shipment from Australia was the spark that set of the explosion that sent JPY soaring versus all its counterparts. AUD/JPY was creamed, falling from 74.00 to 71.00 within the space of a half-hour.

USD/JPY hit an air-pocket, tumbling through stops below the 93.50 level and reaching 91.81 lows before stabilizing. Same sorts of losses for EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY , CAD/JPY and the like.Offers are seen on rebounds in USD/JPY to the 93.25 and then the 93.50/60 area.

EUR/USD fell as low as 1.3833 as risk aversion underpinned the dollar everywhere but against the JPY (and to a degree CHF). Asian central banks were seen bidding at the lows, just ahead of recent support at the 1.3825 level and in front of barriers rumored at 1.3800. It rallied to 1.3885 late in the day after the central bank bids materialized and US equities recouped their losses. Improved consumer credit data was also a catalyst.

Cable was quite volatile today (surprise), bouncing from 1.6060 in early US trade to test resistance in the 1.6140 area only to be pummeled down below 1.6000 as GBP/JPY had the rug pulled out from under it. It bottomed at 1.5983 before edging up to 1.6065 late in the session.

Amid the reflation trade carnage, AUD/USD slipped as low as 0.7724 before recovering to 0.7780/85 late. USD/CAD popped above 1.1700 to trigger stops, reaching 1.1724 at the extreme before settling back at 1.1665.