Global

 WTO: Global Trade To Gain Speed In 2014 And 2015. The growth of global commerce will pick up speed this year and next, says the World Trade Organization. Trade will grow by a "modest" 4.7% this year and by 5.3% in 2015, says the WTO. Next year's figure, if correct, would be in line with the average growth rate in world trade over the last 20 years. These forecasts are consistent with other figures that show the world economy is gradually recovering from the financial crisis. There have been some sharp swings in global commerce since the onset of the crisis. In 2009, trade in goods declined by 12% and bounced back by 14% the following year. The year 2011 was in line with the long term average, then came what the WTO calls a two-year slump - annual growth of around 2%. (BBC)

Asia

 Singapore Says Economy Slowed Sharply In January-March. Singapore's economic growth slowed sharply in the first three months of the year, data showed Monday, but the central bank stood pat on monetary policy saying it would be lifted by a pick-up in global growth. Preliminary estimates showed the city-state's trade-reliant economy expanded a seasonally adjusted 0.1% quarter on quarter, the trade ministry said. That compared with 6.1% expansion in October-December. The ministry said growth was hit by a 1.8% quarter-on-quarter contraction in the services industry. The advance GDP estimates are based on two months of data, but is given out as a preview to the trade-sensitive economy's performance during the quarter. On a year-on-year basis, GDP is estimated to have expanded 5.1% in the first quarter, slower than the 5.5% rise in the final three months of 2013. (AFP)

USA

 Retail Sales In U.S. Increased In March By Most Since 2012. American retailers warmed up in March as the winter chill faded -- and it wasn’t just car dealers who benefited. Sales jumped a greater-than-forecast 1.1 %, the biggest gain since September 2012, following a 0.7 % advance in February that was more than twice as large as previously reported, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. Ten of 13 categories, from auto dealers to furniture and clothing stores, showed a pickup. (Bloomberg)

 U.S. Business Inventories Point To Slower Q1 Growth. U.S. business inventories rose a bit less than expected as sales rebounded, suggesting a slow pace of restocking could weigh on economic growth in the first quarter. The Commerce Department said on Monday inventories increased 0.4 % in February after rising by the same margin in January. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast inventories increasing 0.5 % in February. Inventories are a key component of gross domestic product changes. Retail inventories, excluding autos, which go into the calculation of GDP, rose 0.2 %. That followed a 0.6 % rise in January. Motor vehicle inventories fell for a second straight month. (Reuters)

Europe

 Eurozone Industrial Output Grows 0.2% In February. Industrial output in the 18-nation eurozone grew by 0.2% in February, in line with analysts' expectations. Growth was driven by a 0.6% increase in intermediate goods and a 0.5% increase in non-durable consumer goods. Electronic components manufacturing saw the strongest growth in Eurozone intermediate goods output, with an 11.5% increase, Eurostat said. Energy output decreased by 1.7% overall, with a fall of 11% in coal and lignite mining. There was a 1.2% drop in durable consumer goods. (BBC)

 Italy Inflation-Linked Bond Tops $9 Billion On First Day. Investors ordered more than 6.72 billion euros ($9.3 billion) of an Italian six-year, inflation-linked bond known as BTP Italy, just five months after the record sale of a similar maturity. The amount was sold on the first day of an offer running through April 17, the Italian stock exchange said on its website. The sale aimed at retail investors comes after the Rome-based Treasury last week managed to sell one-year and three-year debt at record lows. It’s the sixth issuance since 2012, when the Treasury began reaching out to Italians to help manage its public debt as contagion from the debt crisis triggered an exodus of foreign investors. (Bloomberg)

Currencies

 Dollar Rises Against Euro, Yen After Retail Sales. The dollar rose against major rivals Monday after U.S. retail sales in March came in better than expected, providing more evidence in favor of a continued reduction of Federal Reserve stimulus. The dollar rose to ¥101.82 from ¥101.69 late Friday. The ICE dollar index, which measures the dollar against six rivals, rose to 79.741 from 79.492 late Friday. The euro fell to $1.3818 from $1.3886 late Friday. The dollar rose 0.5% to 35.94 Russian rubles on Monday. The British pound was little changed at $1.6736. The WSJ Dollar Index, another gauge of dollar strength, rose to 72.84 from 72.69 late Friday. The Australian dollar rose to 94.15 U.S. cents from 93.95 U.S. cents. (Market Watch)

Commodities

 Brent Rises Over $1.50 As Ukraine Concerns Sharply Escalate. Brent crude oil rose more than $1.50 on Monday as tensions escalated in Ukraine, while U.S. crude rose modestly after positive retail sales data signaled a rebound in the U.S. economy. Brent crude settled up $1.74 at $109.07 a barrel, pushing above its 50-, 100- and 200-day averages at $108.04, $108.54 and $108.96 a barrel. U.S. oil settled up 31 cents at $104.05 a barrel, but turned negative in post settlement trading as equity markets gave up gains. (Reuters)

 Gold Rises On Renewed Ukraine Tension, Palladium Jumps. Gold rose to a three-week high on Monday as renewed concerns over the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine prompted investors to add positions in bullion as a hedge, while supply fears lifted palladium prices to a fresh 2-1/2 year peak. Spot gold was up 0.7 % at $1,327.10 an ounce by 2:08 p.m. EDT (1808 GMT), having earlier touched its highest since March 24 at $1,330.90. Palladium was up 1.2 % at $809.75 an ounce for its fifth session of gains. Among other precious metals, platinum gained 0.7 % to $1,460.40, having earlier hit its highest in nearly a month at $1,469.90 as labor strikes continued in South Africa. Silver inched up 1 cent at $19.96 an ounce. (Reuters)