Continued decline in the euro against the U.S. dollar on a background of the employment report from ADP. As shown by recent data that were presented Automatic Data Processing (ADP), in December, private sector employment increased markedly , thereby exceeded the estimates of many economists .

According to a report last month, the number of employed increased by 238,000 people, compared with upwardly revised figure for the previous month at the level of 229 thousand (originally reported growth of 215 thousand jobs ) . Add that, according to the average forecast of this indicator would grow by 199 thousand

Commenting on the latest figures , Carlos Rodriguez , president and chief executive officer of ADP said that " job growth in December was unexpectedly higher than in November, which is mainly characterized by strong results . This is encouraging news , which we hope will bode well for 2014. "

Earlier, the euro declined significantly against the U.S. dollar , despite the strong retail sales data and report on unemployment. Statistical data from Eurostat showed that the unemployment rate in the euro area remained unchanged in November , and remained at a record high value for the eighth consecutive month , but retail sales recorded the biggest monthly increase in 12 years .

According to the report , the unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro was 12.1 percent, while the number of people without jobs was 19.2 million Unemployment among those under 25 years old, was unchanged for the second month in a row - at 24.2 percent .

In addition, it was reported that retail sales in the euro zone in November jumped 1.4 percent on a monthly basis , after falling 0.4 percent in October , registering the fastest monthly increase since November 2001.

Compared with the same period last year, sales rose by 1.6 percent after falling 0.3 percent in October , providing the strongest growth since February 2008. Monthly increase led by a 1.9- percent growth in sales of non-food products except automotive fuel .

Pound rose against the dollar ahead of tomorrow's meeting of the Bank of England. According to expectations , the Bank of England at its January meeting, save parameters of monetary policy unchanged. At the last meeting , all nine members of the committee supported the decision to leave the key interest rate of the central bank at a record low 0.5% , while the volume of bond-buying program - at 375 billion pounds.

In August committee promised not to consider the possibility of a rate hike as long as the unemployment rate drops to 7% , unless there are signs of a strong rise in inflation or inflation expectations.

While there is no such indication , and thanks to the Government's efforts to slow down the growth of tariffs for energy supply of housing, the annual inflation rate in the 1st quarter of 2014 , probably closer to the target level of the Bank of England, which is 2.0 %.

Most recent data indicate the development of recovery, but at the same time it is vulnerable in the event of a further appreciation of the pound, which was up 9 % from March 2013. In the 3rd quarter, the UK economy grew faster than the economies of other major developed countries , and the Bank of England expects that in the 4th quarter of 2013, GDP will grow by 0.9%. Due to strong indicators UK investors and traders came to believe that the Bank of England will raise interest rates sooner than the European Central Bank .

European stocks were little changed, near their highest level since May 2008, after a report showed U.S. companies hired more workers than forecast.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index added 0.1 percent to 329.75 at the close of trading in London after the equity benchmark yesterday climbed to its highest level in five years and seven months. The volume of shares changing hands in companies listed on the Stoxx 600 was 53 percent greater than the average of the past 30 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

A report from the ADP Research Institute showed that U.S. companies added 238,000 workers in December, beating the median projection of 200,000 in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. They hired a net 229,000 in November. The Labor Department publishes the unemployment rate and hiring figures for last month on Friday.

The International Monetary Fund plans to increase its forecast for world growth, Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters in Nairobi yesterday. The organization intends to announce its new forecast in about three weeks, she said. The IMF currently estimates the global economy will expand by 3.6 percent this year.

The European Union’s statistics agency reported that unemployment in the euro area remained at 12.1 percent in November. That matched the median economist forecast. A Bundesbank release showed that German factory orders climbed 2.1 percent in November, exceeding the median estimate of 1.5 percent in a Bloomberg survey.

National equity benchmarks rose in 11 of the 18 western-European markets. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 declined 0.5 percent. Germany’s DAX fell 0.1 percent while France’s CAC 40 slipped less than 0.1 percent

The Stoxx 600 Banks Index added 1.3 percent to its highest level since April 2011 as yields fell for benchmark debt in Greece and Spain. Banco Popular Espanol SA climbed 8.9 percent to 5.40 euros. BNP Paribas SA, France’s biggest lender, rose 1.4 percent to 58.19 euros, its highest price since February 2011.

Celesio surged 9.3 percent to 24.50 euros, its biggest rally in three months. McKesson has held talks with Elliott Management Corp., which holds more than 25 percent of the voting rights in Celesio, about increasing its offer, three people familiar with the matter said. Dow Jones reported that the U.S. company may increase its bid to 25 euros a share. It offered 23 euros a share in October.

SAP AG gained 1.7 percent to 62.55 euros after UBS raised its rating on the German maker of enterprise-resource-planning software to buy from neutral. Analyst Michael Briest increased his 12-month price target by 13 percent to 70 euros, citing the valuation. The shares trade at 16.9 times projected earnings, less than the 19.7 multiple for an index of European technology companies, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

Sainsbury dropped 2.4 percent to 360 pence after earlier climbing as much as 3.9 percent. Chief Financial Officer John Rogers said on a conference call with analysts and investors that same-store sales for the company’s financial year will rise less than 1 percent. That compared with his prediction for growth of 1 percent to 1.5 percent on Nov. 13.

Kion, which first sold shares to the public in June 2013, slipped 2 percent to 30.14 euros after Superlift Holding Sarl sold 10.7 million shares in the company for about 315 million euros ($428 million).

West Texas Intermediate crude fell to the lowest level in five weeks after a government report showed bigger-than-expected gains in gasoline and distillate supplies as demand slid.

Prices declined as much as 0.9 percent. Inventories of gasoline and distillate, including diesel fuel and heating oil, each climbed more than twice as much as forecast in the week ended Jan. 3. Total products supplied, a measure of demand, tumbled 4.1 percent to the lowest level in seven months, according to a report today from the Energy Information Administration.

Crude prices also fell as Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corp. said production increased because of the resumption of pumping from the Sharara oil field. Output rose to 546,000 barrels a day yesterday.

WTI for February delivery dropped 75 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $92.92 a barrel at 10:47 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The volume of all futures traded was 6.5 percent above the 100-day average.

Brent for February settlement slid 13 cents to $107.22 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 4.4 percent above the 100-day average. The European benchmark crude was at a $14.30 premium to WTI. The spread closed at $13.68 yesterday.

The price of gold decreases the second day in a row , while the strengthening of the U.S. dollar and the forthcoming publication of the minutes of the last meeting of the Operations Committee on the U.S. Federal Open Market investors keep buying from this metal , which is an alternative currency .

Gold prices are reduced in response to the strengthening of the dollar , which weakened demand from foreign investors. The price of gold is fixed in dollars and dollar growth during this precious metal more expensive for investors using other currencies .

Some investors fear to hold gold in their portfolios before the publication of the Protocols of the December meeting of the Fed , which will be released today at 19:00 GMT. Investors will see a more detailed picture of how central bankers have reached agreement on key minimize the program to stimulate the economy .

Gold has received support from the Fed attempts to keep borrowing costs low, because then assets with zero yield could easily compete with interest-earning assets, such as bonds .

Cost February gold futures on the COMEX today dropped to $ 1218.30 per ounce.

U.S. stock-index futures fluctuated, as investors weighed a private report showing companies added more workers than forecast in December.

Global markets:

Nikkei 16,121.45 +307.08 +1.94%

Hang Seng 22,996.59 +283.81 +1.25%

Shanghai Composite 2,044.34 -2.98 -0.15%

FTSE 6,731.03 -24.42 -0.36%

CAC 4,251.66 -11.02 -0.26%

DAX 9,489.96 -16.24 -0.17%

Crude oil $93.60 (-0.07%)

Gold $1221.30 (-0.68%).

EUR/USD $1.3525, $1.3600, $1.3700

USD/JPY Y104.00, Y104.40, Y104.75, Y104.80, Y105.00

EUR/JPY Y143.00

GBP/USD $1.6460, $1.6500

EUR/GBP stg0.8255, stg0.8300, stg0.8350

USD/CHF Chf0.8875

EUR/SEK Sek8.9025

AUD/USD $0.8850, $0.8900, $0.8950

AUD/JPY Y94.25

USD/CAD C$1.0800

Data

7:00 Germany Balance of Payments 19.1 21.6 billion in November

7:00 Germany Trade Balance, 16.8 billion in November 18.9 17.8

08:00 UK house price index from Halifax, m / m +1.1 % in December +0.6% -0.6%

08:00 UK house price index from Halifax, 3m y / y +7.7 % +7.5 December %

09:30 UK BoE on the state of the credit market UK IV quarter

10:00 Eurozone Retail Sales m / m in November -0.2% +0.2% +1.4%

10:00 Eurozone Retail Sales y / y in November -0.1 % 0.0% 1.6%

10:00 Eurozone unemployment rate in November 12.1 % 12.1 % 12.1%

11:00 Germany Factory Orders m / m November  -2.2 % +1.2 %  +2.1%

11:00 Germany Factory Orders y / y November +1.9%       +3.7%

The euro exchange rate fell markedly against the U.S. dollar , despite the strong data on retail sales and unemployment report . Add that dollar growth expectations help you publish a report on the United States. The median estimate of economists number of new jobs can grow in the last month to 199 thousand

Statistical data from Eurostat showed that the unemployment rate in the euro area remained unchanged in November , and remained at a record high value for the eighth consecutive month , but retail sales recorded the biggest monthly increase in 12 years .

According to the report , the unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro was 12.1 percent, while the number of people without jobs was 19.2 million Unemployment among those under 25 years old, was unchanged for the second month in a row - at 24.2 percent .

In addition, it was reported that retail sales in the euro zone in November jumped 1.4 percent on a monthly basis , after falling 0.4 percent in October , registering the fastest monthly increase since November 2001.

Compared with the same period last year, sales rose by 1.6 percent after falling 0.3 percent in October , providing the strongest growth since February 2008. Monthly increase led by a 1.9- percent growth in sales of non-food products except automotive fuel .

Pound rose slightly against the U.S. dollar ahead of tomorrow's meeting of the Bank of England. According to expectations , the Bank of England at its January meeting, save parameters of monetary policy unchanged. At the last meeting , all nine members of the committee supported the decision to leave the key interest rate of the central bank at a record low 0.5% , while the volume of bond-buying program - at 375 billion pounds.

In August committee promised not to consider the possibility of a rate hike as long as the unemployment rate drops to 7% , unless there are signs of a strong rise in inflation or inflation expectations.

While there is no such indication , and thanks to the Government's efforts to slow down the growth of tariffs for energy supply of housing, the annual inflation rate in the 1st quarter of 2014 , probably closer to the target level of the Bank of England, which is 2.0 %.

Most recent data indicate the development of recovery, but at the same time it is vulnerable in the event of a further appreciation of the pound, which was up 9 % from March 2013. In the 3rd quarter, the UK economy grew faster than the economies of other major developed countries , and the Bank of England expects that in the 4th quarter of 2013, GDP will grow by 0.9%. Due to strong indicators UK investors and traders came to believe that the Bank of England will raise interest rates sooner than the European Central Bank .

EUR / USD: during the European session, the pair fell to $ 1.3590

GBP / USD: during the European session, the pair rose to $ 1.6434

USD / JPY: during the European session, the pair rose to Y105.12, but then fell to Y104.65

At 13:15 GMT the U.S. will report on changes in the number of employees from ADP in December. At 19:00 GMT held publication of the minutes of the Fed meeting in December. At 21:45 GMT New Zealand announces the change of volume of building permits issued in November.

EUR/USD

Offers $1.3750, $1.3720/25, $1.3700/10, $1.3670/80, $1.3635-40

Bids $1.3592, $1.3575/70, $1.3555/50, $1.3525/20, $1.3500

GBP/USD

Offers $1.6500/10, $1.6470/80, $1.6440/50, $1.6438

Bids $1.6375/70, $1.6350, $1.6337, $1.6300, $1.6290

AUD/USD

Offers $0.9020, $0.9000, $0.8971/82, $0.8945/50, $0.8932/38

Bids $0.8900, $0.8885/80, $0.8870, $0.8855/50, $0.8825/20

USD/JPY

Offers Y106.00, Y105.80, Y105.45/50, Y105.30/40, Y105.20

Bids Y104.50, Y104.00, Y103.80, Y103.75/70, Y103.59

EUR/JPY

Offers Y144.25/30, Y144.00, Y143.80, Y143.50, Y143.20

Bids Y142.50/40, Y142.28, Y142.20, Y142.00, Y141.85/80

EUR/GBP

Offers Stg0.8400/05, stg0.8370/80, stg0.8350, stg0.8340, stg0.8330/35, stg0.83165

Bids stg0.8280-70, stg0.8260/50, stg0.8250, stg0.8220, stg0.8205/00

European stocks were little changed, trading near their highest level since May 2008, before a report on hiring by U.S. companies that may help investors assess the strength of America’s economic recovery. U.S. index futures fluctuated, while Asian shares climbed.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slipped 0.2 percent to 328.91 at 10:37 a.m. in London after the equity benchmark yesterday climbed to its highest level in five years and seven months. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures decreased 0.1 percent, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index rallied 1 percent, following a four-day decline.

A report from the ADP Research Institute will probably show that U.S. companies added 200,000 workers in December. They hired a net 215,000 in November, the most in a year. The Labor Department publishes the unemployment rate and hiring figures for last month on Friday.

The Fed releases minutes from its December meeting after the close of European markets today. The central bank said after that meeting it would reduce its monthly asset purchases by $10 billion to $75 billion from January. The bond-buying program has swelled the Fed’s balance sheet to more than $4 trillion.

The International Monetary Fund plans to increase its forecast for world growth, Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters in Nairobi yesterday. The organization intends to announce its new forecast in about three weeks, she said. The IMF currently estimates the global economy will expand by 3.6 percent this year.

The European Union’s statistics agency reported that unemployment in the euro area remained at 12.1 percent in November. That matched the median economist forecast. A Bundesbank release at noon in Frankfurt will show that German factory orders climbed 1.5 percent in November.

SAP gained 1.1 percent to 62.17 euros after UBS raised its rating on the German maker of enterprise-resource-planning software to buy from neutral. Analyst Michael Briest increased his 12-month price target by 13 percent to 70 euros, citing the valuation. The shares trade at 16.7 times projected earnings, less than the 19.5 multiple for a gauge of European technology companies, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

Sainsbury dropped 1.4 percent to 363.9 pence after earlier climbing as much as 3.9 percent. Chief Financial Officer John Rogers said on a conference call with analysts and investors that same-store sales for the company’s financial year will rose less than 1 percent. That compared with his prediction for growth of 1 percent to 1.5 percent on Nov. 13.

Kion, which first sold shares to the public in June 2013, slipped 1.8 percent to 30.20 euros after Superlift Holding Sarl sold 10.7 million shares in the company for about 315 million euros ($429 million).

FTSE 100 6,728.04 -27.41 -0.41%

CAC 40 4,255.55 -7.13 -0.17%

DAX 9,486.71 -19.49 -0.21%

EUR/USD $1.3525, $1.3600, $1.3700

USD/JPY Y104.00, Y104.40, Y104.75, Y104.80, Y105.00

EUR/JPY Y143.00

GBP/USD $1.6460, $1.6500

EUR/GBP stg0.8255, stg0.8300, stg0.8350

USD/CHF Chf0.8875

EUR/SEK Sek8.9025

AUD/USD $0.8850, $0.8900, $0.8950

AUD/JPY Y94.25

USD/CAD C$1.0800

Asian stocks rose, with the regional benchmark gauge on course for the first gain in five days, as the International Monetary Fund said it will raise its global economic growth forecast and the U.S. trade deficit narrowed.

Nikkei 225 16,121.45 +307.08 +1.94%

Hang Seng 23,003.22 +290.44 +1.28%

S&P/ASX 200 5,316.05 -0.94 -0.02%

Shanghai Composite 2,044.34 -2.98 -0.15%

Nintendo Co. jumped 11 percent in Tokyo after China lifted a 13-year ban on game consoles.

Belle International Holdings Ltd., China’s biggest seller of footwear, soared 11 percent in Hong Kong as Barclays Plc said the retailer may boost earnings.

Seven & I Holdings Co. jumped 6 percent in Tokyo after the supermarket chain’s operating profit beat analyst estimates.

Gold $1,231.70 +2.10 +0.17%

Oil