Boom – that was a big night overnight after the solid lead in from Asia and reduction in tensions saw buyers take the upper hand in European and US stock markets. The US dollar was also stronger and gold fell after data in the US showed a benign inflation outcome (0.3% mom and 2.1% yoy), solid rise in existing home sales (2.6%) and a relatively impressive print of 7 for the Richmond fed manufacturing index. The Euro is the primary point of pressure from the improved US dollar at the moment but realistically it looks more like Euro specific weakness for the first time in ages. Certainly the US data was okay but now ... (full story)