2008.09.01 Eco Minutes [今日市场脉搏]

01. Europe Markets: Stocks in Europe edge lower, Commerzbank leading the banking sector lower

02. South Korean car sales drop 7.5% in August

03. German new car sales sharply lower in August, New car registrations in Germany, Europe's biggest automarket, were up around 3% on the year at almost 1.9 million vehicles in the January-to-July period.

04. China manufacturing slowing. China's PMI measures signal softening trend in August amid weaker global demand and Olympics-related factory shutdowns, near contraction

05. Currencies: British pound plunges on Chancellor Darling's weak outlook, falling 1.3% against the U.S. dollar to a level last seen in April 2006 after U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer said the economic environment is the worst state in 60 years,  angering his boss, Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Commentary: Brown's days are numbered

06. Stocks head into the holiday-shortened first week of September amid hurricanes, financial and economic uncertainty. U.S. markets to face jobs data in shortened week, US Economic Preview - Payrolls heading down, expected to fall in August

07. Asia Markets: Exporters lead Japan lower. Japanese wages drop in July. Exporters and techs weigh down regional stocks, as Honda and LG Electronics taking a hit on worries about the impact on demand from a slowing global economy.

08. U.K. House price slump, July British mortgage approvals set another all-time low. British home prices down for 11th straight month, survey says. U.K. Aug. manufacturing PMI 45.9 vs. 44.1 July.

09. New Orleans emptied. Gustav prompts shut-in of nearly 77% of Gulf oil output. Gustav could bust levees, Up to $7 billion in damage to oil platforms seen. If Hurricane Gustav is as strong as forecast, a storm surge up to 18 feet high could overtop floodwalls and levees in New Orleans. But oil trades lower in London, losing over $1 a barrel as hurricane to remain category 3.

10. U.S. retail gasoline prices return to above $4 a gallon. Hurricane Gustav eases, but expected to intensify.

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7:50 a.m.
Futures Movers: as Gustav nears landfall, Oil loses ground, down to 114

7:29 a.m.
London Markets: U.K. stocks edge higher as sterling drops

7:11 a.m.
Stocks in Europe weaken, Commerzbank slides

6:11 a.m.
Center of Gustav, Cat 3 hurricane, to hit LA near midday

5:05 a.m.
Sterling down 1.3% at $1.8039 vs dollar

5:05 a.m.
Light sweet crude up 77C at $116.23 a barrel

5:05 a.m.
S&P 500 futures down 3.80 at 1,278.80

5:04 a.m.
Euro down 0.3% at $1.4638 vs dollar

4:02 a.m.
Euro-zone Aug. manufacturing PMI rises to 47.6 from 47.4 Jul

3:38 a.m.
Carrefour cut J.P. Morgan to underweight from neutral, Spain weakness cited

2:43 a.m.
LSE reportedly to cut fees, increase trader incentives

2:38 a.m.
Japan domestic vehicle sales slump 14.9% in August. Japan wages fall an inflation-adjusted 2.5% in July. Nikkei ends down 1.8% at 12,834.18

12:04 a.m.
Hong Kong PMI falls further in August, signals contraction. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index drops 1.2% in early minutes

12:01 a.m.
China Aug Purchasing Managers Index 49.2 vs 53.3 July. Shanghai Composite drops 2.6% to 2,334.01

中国股市大跌3.01%, 再创熊市新低: 上证指数收报2325.135点，跌-72.234点，或-3.01%

上市公司业绩增长放缓,是萦绕在投资者"心头的痛",以沪市上市公司净利润为例,08年上半年大约平均同比增长了16%左右,而去年同期的增幅是近70%,经济增长走低的趋势令人担忧。

中国物流与采购联合会周一公布数据显示,8月宏观经济先行指标--官方制造业采购经理指数(PMI)为48.4,与上月持平,并已连续两个月位于50下方.分析师认为,该数据反映经济增长走低的态势仍未改变。