Spain again to test investors' nerves | Reuters

By Richard Hubbard
LONDON | Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:02pm EDT
(Reuters) - The euro zone crisis is flaring up and debt auctions by safe-haven Germany and current bad boy Spain in the coming week will provide a gauge how far investor sentiment has changed since the shock and awe of recent ECB liquidity injections has worn thin.

Protecting the world economy from the euro area's debt crisis will top the agenda at the International Monetary Fund spring meeting in Washington at the end of the week, just as quarterly U.S. corporate earnings begin to reflect some improvements coming through in economic activity.

Eyes will also be on the outcome of the first round of the French presidential election on April 22, and March data on the health of U.S. retail sales and industrial production.

April week 2
Some analysts say the worst is yet to come, and the sell-off will continue. Mark Grant, managing director at Southwest Securities in Dallas says the Federal Reserve’s apparent lack of desire to provide further economic stimulus will continue to batter markets in the months ahead. “Take your profits in equities,” he says. “America has been living off this quantitative easing for the last four years and it’s now coming to an end.” The U.S. economy’s recovery is far from guaranteed, he says. Last week, for instance, the Labor Department reported the addition of just 120,000 jobs in March, the first time since November 2011 that figure came in below 200,000. Grant also says Europe’s debt crisis — particularly in Spain, Greece and Italy — is also far from over.

The day the Fed changes the market will as well IMO.

GLTA Bill

U.S. sees largest weekly crude stock build

U.S. sees largest weekly crude stock build of the year at inopportune moment for oil prices, while Japanese crude stocks drop.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 09, 2012
NYC-based PIRA Energy Group reports that the largest weekly U.S. crude stock build of the year came at an inopportune time for oil prices, while Japanese weekly crude stocks fell. Specifically, PIRA’s analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:
Largest U.S. crude stock build of the year: The huge reported U.S. stock build for the week ending March 30 came at an inopportune time for oil prices. Risk markets in general are taking a hit from the recent Federal Reserve meeting and fears that Europe is sliding into another debt crisis. Meanwhile.

IMO this will enhance a short on Oil stocks.

GLTA Bill