The Nasdaq led the stock indices higher, rising to a new 13-year high, helped by Apple due to indications of strong iPad sales this holiday weekend. US Treasuries continued to consolidate while risk currencies traded mixed within the Forex market. The British Pound and Euro led higher while the Aussie and Canadian dollar continued to slide lower. In the Commodity market Natural Gas continued to climb four consecutive weeks gaining 13.1% followed by Soy 6.3%. Silver was the laggard at month end dropping -11.0% followed by Gold -7% and Crude Oil -5.5%.
As US markets hit new all-time highs, and many other global indices approach their own multi-year or historical highs, in the week ahead traders should be focusing on stocks and risk currencies, particularly the European bourses and the Euro which have managed to shrug off disappointing data. I am expecting volatility to pick up as this week’s economic data calendar is significantly busier especially towards the end of the week.

Sunday

7:30 PM AUD Building Approvals

Monday

4:30 AM GBP Manufacturing PMI
8:30 AM USD Fed Chairman Bernanke Speaks
10:00 AM USD ISM Manufacturing PMI
1:30 PM IQ Room – Advance Concepts With Joe Rios
7:30 PM AUD Retail Sales
10:30 PM AUD RBA Rate Statement

Tuesday

4:30 AM GBP Construction PMI
8:00 AM The Trading Room – ABC Systems – Automated Box Control Trading
7:30 PM AUD GDP

Wednesday

4:30 AM GBP Services PMI
8:15 AM USD ADP Nonfarm Employment Change
8:30 AM CAD Trade Balance
8:30 AM USD Trade Balance
10:00 AM CAD BOC Rate Statement
10:00 AM USD ISM Nonmanufacturing PMI
10:00 AM USD New-Home Sales
10:30 AM Crude Oil Inventories
1:30 PM IQ Room – Advanced Concepts With Joe Rios
2:00 PM USD Beige Book
7:30 PM AUD Trade Balance

Thursday

7:00 AM GBP Official Bank Rate
Tentative GBP MPC Rate Statement
7:45 AM EUR Minimum Bid Rate
8:30 AM CAD Building Permits
8:30 AM EUR ECB Press Conference
8:30 AM USD Preliminary GDP
8:30 AM USD Unemployment Claims
10:00 AM CAD Ivey PMI
10:30 AM Natural Gas Storage
1:30 PM IQ Room – Advance Concepts With Joe Rios

Friday

3:15 AM CHF CPI
8:30 AM CAD Unemployment Rate
8:30 AM USD Nonfarm Employment Change
9:55 AM USD Preliminary Uom Consumer Sentiment
9:00 PM JPY BOJ Gov. Kuroda Speaks

Saturday

Tentative CNY Trade Balance