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Jobless Claims

Released On 10/4/2012 8:30:00 AM For wk9/29, 2012 Prior Prior Revised Consensus Consensus Range Actual New Claims - Level 359 K 363 K 370 K 364 K to 375 K 367 K 4-week Moving Average - Level 374.00 K 375.00 K 375.00 K New Claims - Change -26 K -22 K 4 K

Highlights New jobless claims are steady and slightly higher than a month ago, at 367,000 in the September 29 week which is about the same level as late August. Unchanged is the four-week average which at 375,000 is 3,000 to 4,000 thousand above late August. Continuing claims show slight improvement from a month ago with the four-week average down another 13,000 to 3.285 million. This average is about 35,000 below levels in August. But the unemployment rate for insured workers isn't going anywhere, unchanged at 2.6 percent which is where it's been since mid-March. Today's results don't have direct bearing on what we should expect for tomorrow's employment report which was sampled at mid-September. A look back at initial claims in this period shows a small but tangible increase of about 10,000 compared to August, a result that does not point to improvement for tomorrow's employment report. There's little initial reaction to this report which, however, isn't likely to give the Dow much support.

Diver

　　新浪财经讯 北京时间10月4日晚间消息，欧洲央行宣布，将基准利率(主要再融资操作利率)维持在0.75%不变，行长德拉吉将在北京时间晚8点半召开发布会，欧央行是否推出采购国债计划备受关注。

　　欧央行今年前6次会议利率均不变，至7月5日降息25基点，8、9月两次会议都未降息，但9月6日会议推出了在二级市场不限量采购主权债的直接货币交易(OMT)计划，推动欧股大涨。

　　以下为欧央行声明全文：在今天于Brdo pri Kranju(注：斯洛文尼亚卢布尔雅那附近)举行的会议上，欧央行理事会决定：将主要再融资操作利率、边际贷款利率、边际存款利率依次维持于0.75%、1.50%、0.00%不变。

　　欧央行行长将在今日欧洲中部时间下午2:30(北京时间20点半)召开新闻发布会，阐述做出上述决策过程中欧央行是如何考虑的。(立悟/编译)

Diver

ZT:
That's Nice. Now Give Me More!

All week long I've been previewing that the dual employment reports hold the keys to investor happiness. Gladly the ADP Employment report on Wednesday showed 16% more jobs added than expected. However, last month's ADP sang sweet songs of job growth while the Government report had more of a bluesy riff going on.

Now we need to wait til Friday to see if they are properly harmonizing about positive jobs growth. If so, then this gives stocks good reason to head higher.

This is especially true now that both ISM reports from this week showed marked improvements. In fact, the services index provided the healthiest reading since March. Good stuff indeed.