Malaysia

March Vehicle Sales Higher. Sales of passenger and commercial vehicles in March increased to 58,919 units from 57,622 units in the same month last year. The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said out of the 58,919 units sold, 52,122 were passenger vehicles and the remaining 6,797 were commercial vehicles. It said the sales volume in March was also higher than February by 16.2%. In a statement, MAA attributed the better sales to the delivery of new models, rush for deliveries by companies having financial years ended March 31, 2014, and longer working month. On outlook, it said sales volume in April 2014 was expected to be maintained at the current level. (Bernama)

Asia

Japan Consumer Confidence Drops To Lowest Since 2011. Japan’s consumer confidence fell to the lowest level since August 2011, and the government cut its economic assessment for the first time in 17 months, as a sales-tax increase on April 1 sapped the public’s spending power. The March confidence reading of 37.5 fell by 1 from the previous month, the Cabinet Office said in Tokyo today. About 90 % of respondents to the survey saw prices rising over the next 12 months -- the most in comparable data back to 2004. (Bloomberg)

Jan-March FDI In China Up 5.5%. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China increased 5.5% in the first three months of the year despite faltering in March, the government said Thursday, though outbound investment slumped. FDI, which excludes investment in financial sectors, totalled US$31.55bil in the March quarter, the commerce ministry said in a statement. However, investment in March declined 1.47% to US$12.24bil, it said. During the first quarter, FDI from the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) increased 7.84% to US$1.97 billion, the ministry said. Investment from the US fell 1.91% to US$1.04bil, while that from the European Union (EU) slumped 24.52% to US$1.55bil. Separately, Chinese overseas investment, excluding financial sectors, fell 16.5% in the first quarter year-onyear to US$19.9bil, the ministry said, with investment to Hong Kong, ASEAN and European Union leading the decline. (AFP)

North America

Jobless Claims In U.S. Hover Near Lowest Level Since 2007. The number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance payments hovered last week near the lowest level in almost seven years, and consumer confidence improved, showing the world’s largest economy is speeding up. Jobless claims increased by 2,000 to 304,000 in the week ended

April 12 from a revised 302,000 the prior period that was the lowest since September 2007, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index climbed from a nine-week low, reflecting more upbeat views on the economy, finances and buying climate. (Bloomberg)

Canada’s March Inflation Rate Rebounds To 1.5% On Energy. Canada’s inflation rate rebounded in March as rising energy prices triggered the biggest gain in shelter costs in more than three years. The inflation rate returned to 1.5 % after slowing to 1.1 % in February, Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa. The core rate, which excludes eight volatile products, increased 1.3 % after a 1.2 % gain the prior month. Total inflation was faster than the 1.4 % median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, while core inflation met the consensus. (Bloomberg)

Europe

Europe Car Sales Rise As Recovery ‘Becomes More Widespread’. The recovery in the European Union's car industry carried on through March, the latest figures show, with rapidly increasing sales in Spain and the U.K. and a bounce back in the mass market providing some much needed cheer for the region's automakers. Car sales in the European Union increased for a seventh month in a row in March, posting a 10.6 % increase from the same period in 2013, bringing new passenger car registrations growth for the quarter to 8.4 %, the monthly survey from the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association reports. However, with nearly 1.5 million vehicles registered, it was the second lowest result figure for March since the ACEA began compiling data for the expanded EU in 2003. Fort he quarter, new car registrations increased by 8.4 %. All major markets contributed to March's 10.6 % rise, with the U.K. and Spain recording 17.7 % and 10 % growth respectively, with sales growth for the quarter hitting 13.7 % in Britain. France sales rose 8.5 %, Germany saw 5.4 % growth and Italian car sales were up 5 % in March compared to last year. (CNBC)

Currencies

Dollar Rises Against Yen; Aussie, Kiwi Fall. The dollar rose against the Japanese yen Thursday after a round of positive U.S. data in a holiday-shortened week. The dollar rose to ¥102.42 from ¥102.24 late Wednesday. The Australian dollar fell to 93.22 U.S. cents from 93.71 U.S. cents late Wednesday. The euro was unchanged at $1.3815 from late Wednesday. The ICE dollar index, which pits the dollar against six rivals, has fallen nearly 6% since its peak in July, even as the Fed began reducing its monetary stimulus, she said. In recent trade, the index edged up to 72.852 from 79.827 late Wednesday. The British pound edged down to $1.6790 from $1.6797. (Market Watch)

Commodities

Brent Oil Falls As Ukraine, Russia Seek To End Violence. Brent crude oil fell on Thursday, stalling below $100 a barrel after the United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union jointly called for an end to the violence in Ukraine, taking some risk premium out of the market, while U.S. oil rose on positive economic data. Brent crude for June delivery, which has received support in recent days as violence in Ukraine escalated, settled down 7 cents at $109.53 a barrel, after earlier hitting a high of $110.19 ahead of the joint statement. U.S. oil for delivery in May settled up 54 cents at $104.30 a barrel, after earlier hitting a high of $104.78 a barrel. (Reuters)