June 2016 US factory orders -1.5% vs -1.8% exp m/m

July 2016 US Non-farm payrolls 255k vs 180k exp m/m

Details of the July 2016 US Non-farm payrolls data report 5 August 2016

• • Prior 287k. Revised to 292k
  • Unemployment rate 4.9% vs 4.8% exp. Prior 4.9%
  • Average hourly earnings 0.3% vs 0.2% exp m/m. Prior 0.1%
  • 2.6% vs 2.6% exp y/y. Prior 2.6%

US trade balance at the worst in nearly a year

June US trade balance report 5 August 2016

This one slipped through the net while we concentrated on NFP

• Trade balance -44.5bn vs -43.0bn exp. Prior -41.1bn
• Exports 0.3% vs -0.1% prior
• Imports 1.9% vs 1.6% prior

Oil and massive imports from China of computers, mobile phones and clothing helped raise the deficit to the highest in 10 months. On the face of it, you could view the numbers negatively on the just the deficit basis but the items that came in from China could relate strongly to consumer demand, which is good news for the economy.

US NFIB small business optimism July 94.6 vs 94.5 exp

US July NFIB small business optimism report 9 August

• 94.5 prev

Not a game changer. One for general filing.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index is a composite of ten seasonally adjusted components. It provides a indication of the health of small businesses in the U.S., which account of roughly 50% of the nation's private workforce.

US Q2 prelim productivity -0.5% vs +0.4% expected

The first look at second quarter productivity data

•     Prior was -0.6%
•     Unit labor costs +2.0% vs +1.8% exp
•     Prior unit labor costs +4.5% (revised to -0.2%)

Stagnating US productivity has turned into a bit of a preoccupation at the Fed. This weak reading will spark another round of hand-wringing.

Meanwhile, don't be fooled by the rise in unit labor costs, it comes after a massive revision lower in Q1 along with annual benchmark revisions to the report.

US June wholesale trade sales +1.9% vs +0.5% expected

Wholesale inventories and sales

• Prior was +0.5% (revised to +0.7%)
• Inventories +0.3% vs 0.0% exp
• Prior inventories +0.1% (revised to +0.2%)

US Initial Jobless Claims Ease Less Than F'cast

Weekly layoffs in the US halted their two-week upturn last week, the Department of Labor said on Thursday, but remained low from a broader perspective, with the respective gauge hovering near a three-month low.

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits booked 266,000 in the seven days ending August 6, compared with the previous week's revised 267,000.

That's marginally more than the market estimate of a slight fall to 264,000 claimants.

Just three weeks ago the figure touched the lowest level since claims touched a post-recession bottom of 248,000 in mid-April, dipping below 250,000 for the first time since the early 1970s. Barring some volatility following the Easter holiday period, the gauge of layoffs has been sitting at these low levels.

US PPI final demand for July -0.4% vs. +0.1% est.

August 2016 US Michigan consumer sentiment 90.4 vs 91.5 exp

Still up on last month but not as much as hoped. Current conditions waver a tad but expectations gain. Inflation dropped to on the 1yr expectations, even so, they are still well up. There's nothing volatile here to change the current mood in the dollar.

August 2016 US Empire State manufacturing -4.2 vs 2.5 exp

Details form the August 2016 US Empire State manufacturing report 15 August 2016

• Prior 0.6
• Employment -1.0 vs -4.4 prior
• New orders 1.0 vs -1.8 prior
• Prices paid 15.5 vs 18.7 prior
• 6m outlook 23.7 vs 29.2 prior