• Japanese s.a August consumer confidence 37.0, unchanged from July
  • Germany pushes Greece to the brink in dangerous brinkmanship – AEP at The Telegraph
  • Greek 5 year credit default swaps rise to 3000 bps, up 280 bps on day
  • German FinMin: We are at critical point for the global economy
  • BOJ’s Shirakawa: Uncertainty over global economy is growing
  • ECB’s Makuch: Swift fiscal consolidation is key to the eurozone problems
  • German August (final) CPI unchanged m/m, +2.4% y/y, revised up from preliminary -0.1%, +2.3% respectively
  • French July industrial output +1.5% m/m, stronger than median forecast of +0.4%
  • China August industrial output +13.5% y/y, very slightly below median forecast of +13.7%
  • G7 say Japan should build yen support – Bloomberg

Once again my hopes for an easy morning have been well and truly dashed. Bloody risk off Friday and all that old cobblers. European stocks hit hard, oil off about one and a half bucks. We’re all doomed I tell ya!!!Dollar has done well against this backdrop.

From a technical perspective, breach of 200 dma resistance in the dollar index at 76.21 has helped accelerate the dollar gains.

EUR/USD down at 1.3810 from early 1.3910, having been as low as 1.3786. Started quietly with choppy trade either side of 1.3900. Then all of a sudden we were down at 1.3875 offered as that notorious US investment bank stepped in and hammered the single currency.

Barrier option interest well noted at 1.3850 and defence of said interest slowed the sell-off, but only temporarily. Eventually we took out 1.3800 barrier interest as well before some limited recovery.

Nasty morning for aussie, AUD/USD down at 1.0525 from early 1.0615. Much talk of decent fix interest to buy the GBP/AUD cross this morning. As I type this we’re up a big figure at 1.5160 from when we first reported the interest. HOW BLOODY COOL ARE WE!!!!! Unfortunately not sure what this interest was related to.

Cable down only mariginally at 1.5945 from early 1.5975 against the backdrop of burgeoning dollar strength, no doubt helped by the aforementioned GBP/AUD buy interest.

USD/CHF up at .8790 from early .8720, EUR/CHF steady at 1.2140.

Personally I’ve had more than a belly full for this week. Hope you’ve all survived and maybe even prospered. Roll on the weekend!!!!!!!