• Czech current account surplus increased to CZK 3.0bn in March from February’s CZK 2.0bn. Reason behind this surplus is again the surplus of trade balance. On the other hand deficit on proceeds balance went up slightly. Financial account reached a surplus CZK of 3.9bn.
• Czech currency broke yet another record this morning. Exchange rate strengthened to CZK 28.10 to EUR but then weakened by 10 halers.
• Consumer prices in eurozone increased by 0.7% in April. Most significant contributors to this increase were more expensive fuel and clothes. Year-on-year inflation moved to 2.4% from 2.2% in March.
• Slovenia will become the 13th eurozone country next year. Euro adoption in this country was approved by European Commission and European Central Bank after it had fulfilled all the necessary Maastricht criteria. Lithuania, on the other hand, remained in front of the gates to the eurozone land because of not fulfilling the criteria for inflation. European Commission postponed its decision about Romania’s and Bulgaria’s entry to the EU to early October.
• US industrial production in April increased by 0.8% after 0.6% growth. Year-on-year production volumes increased by 4.7%. Capacity utilization rate moved to 81.9% from 81.4% in March.
• US production prices in April increased by 0.9% due to the energy prices growth. Year-on-year inflation in production segment increased to 4.0% from 3.5% in March.