US stocks are now being called to open the session more or less flat following the release of mixed economic data Stateside and ahead of more due to come shortly.

Acting as a backdrop, speaking on Bloomberg TV the head of Goldman Sachs Asset management, Jim O'Neill, has indicated that ridiculously strong growth (towards 4%) would be necessary for the S&P 500 to move above the 1,600 point level.

With rather the opposite implications, ex-Federal Reserve President Alan Greenspan has reportedly said that the rise in stocks is not a result of 'irrational exuberance.'

Meantime, and in corporate news, banks are now the centre of attention. Shares of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are lower after the central bank asked them to submit new capital plans, while approving those of Bank of America.

Discover Financial Services has authorised a $2.4bn stock repurchase programme.

No less important, a Senate investigation has found that JP Morgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon misled investigators.

US consumer prices rose at a 0.7% month-on-month (2.0% on the year) clip in February, well above the 0.4% (1.8% on year) rise foreseen by economists.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York´s manufacturing gauge for the month of March has fallen back towards the 8.0 point level, from a reading of 10.0 for the month before.

Front month West Texas crude futures are now rising by 0.73% to the 93.70 dollar per barrel level on the NYMEX.

10 year US Treasury yields are now up by 1 basis point to 2.04%.

AB

Related share prices
Bank of America Corp. (BAC) share price