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From the UK, yesterday, only house sales figures were released.  The average number of properties on estate agents' books has hit a record low and is "unlikely to improve", according to a survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). While a typical estate agent has 42 homes on their books per branch, in London – where the nation's chronic housing shortage is most concentrated – the figure is just 33. Rics's monthly residential market survey, which gathers the views of more than 300 chartered surveyors across the country, also found that there was a prevailing trend in the lack of new buyer enquiries, new instructions and newly agreed sales.

In the US session Unemployment Claims data was published. In the week ending March 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 231,000, an increase of 21,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 210,000. The 4-week moving average was 222,500, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 220,500. Claims taking procedures in Puerto Rico and in the Virgin Islands have still not returned to normal. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3 percent for the week ending February 24, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's unrevised rate.

 

Tomorrow's session will bring UK Industrial Production figures. Analysts predict incline by 1.5%. In the US session NFP figures will be released. Analysts predict increase by 205,000 in non-farm employment and decline in unemployment rate to 4.0%.

 

Figures to watch:

 

Industrial Production (Friday 10:30)

Non-Farm Employment Change/Unemployment Rate (Friday 14:30)