US DATA: NY Fed Empire State Mfg Index rose to 17.50 in Mar vs
15.43 in Feb, roughly in line with expectations of 17.0. The new orders
index fell to 5.81 from 11.80, but employment rose to 9.09 from
3.61. Prices paid posted another sharp rise to 53.25. The 6-mo outlook
index was virtually unchanged from Feb.