US business confidence index rises
The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said this week that the US business confidence index rose at the fastest pace since June 2007. The index indicates that the manufacturing lines in US are being kept busy due to the accelerated pace of exports, which is aided by the weak US dollar. The situation is expected to continue since crude prices are down, and that can accelerate the local US demand , more than the likely fall in exports in coming months.