Ugandan shilling steady, seen weaker after Christmas holiday

KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Ugandan shilling was unchanged against the dollar on Friday but traders said they expected it to weaken once more active trading resumed next year. At 1238 GMT commercial banks in Kampala quoted the currency of east Africa's third-largest economy at 2,645/2,655, unchanged from Thursday's close. "The market is pretty flat because (dollar) demand is not there but going into 2013 we anticipate some small depreciation for the shilling," said Shahzad Kamaluddin, trader at Crane Bank. "Considering the negative factors like a growing current account deficit, aid cuts and the central bank's loose policy stance I reckon the shilling will weaken when business resumes." The shilling has lost 6.4 percent against the dollar this year but it has been strengthening since late November, lifted by decreased demand for the hard currency ahead of the year-end festivities. Traders say the central bank's cuts to its key lending rate will keep yields on Ugandan government securities low and possibly erode the interest of offshore investors - whose dollar flows partly support the shilling's exchange rate. At the last auction on November 29, the yield on the benchmark 91-day Treasury bill was unchanged from the previous auction at 9.8 percent. Bank of Uganda is due to sell 110 billion shillings' worth of Treasury bills of all maturities on December 27. The bank cut its key lending rate by 50 basis points to 12 percent this month, extending its policy easing cycle aimed at resuscitating economic growth. "Because of low demand, market sentiment favours limited shilling appreciation for the remaining trading sessions of this year beyond which it (shilling) will come under pressure," said a trader at a leading commercial bank. The central bank says Uganda's projected growth rate of about 4.3 percent for the 2012/13 (July-June) fiscal year is below the country's potential growth rate of around 7 percent.

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Instant View: November personal income, durable goods up

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer spending rose in November by the most in three years as incomes climbed, suggesting fourth-quarter economic growth might be stronger than currently expected. The Commerce Department said on Friday inflation-adjusted consumer spending rose 0.6 percent, and after-tax income climbed 0.8 percent when adjusting for inflation. A gauge of planned U.S. business spending rose much more than expected in November, a hint that worries over tighter fiscal policy may not be holding back the factory sector as much as feared. The Commerce Department said on Friday that non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for investment plans, jumped 2.7 percent last month, the second straight month of solid gains. Economists had expected so-called core capital goods orders to rise just 0.3 percent. The reading for October was upwardly revised to a 3.2 percent gain from a previously reported 2.9 percent increase. COMMENTS DAVID ADER, SENIOR GOVERNMENT BOND STRATEGIST, CRT CAPITAL GROUP, STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT: "These are generally very good figures for the economy and stock market as the gains we see here are real and inflation clearly less of a threat." TIM GHRISKEY, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER OF SOLARIS GROUP IN BEDFORD HILLS, NEW YORK "Durable goods orders (was) a strong number for the second month in a row. That flies in the face of the weakness we have seen in the manufacturing sector." "This definitely shows economic strength above expectations. It's not a roaring recovery by any means, we all know that, but this really shows some momentum here." TOM DI GALOMA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, NAVIGATE ADVISORS LLC, STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT "This morning's economic data is better across the board however the overwhelming factor remains the fiscal cliff which keeping Treasuries well bid." OMER ESINER, CHIEF MARKET ANALYST, COMMONWEALTH FOREIGN EXCHANGE, WASHINGTON D.C. "The numbers look good across the board and while durable goods is notoriously a volatile indicator the sharp upside surprises top November figures as well as upward revisions suggest that capital spending was on stronger footing than previously expected. "Overall these were strong figures, but they will likely not impact trading as all eyes are on Washington D.C. and fiscal cliff discussion." GARY THAYER, CHIEF MACRO STRATEGIST, WELLS FARGO ADVISORS, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI "The data were better than expected. It shows the economy is holding in here at the end of the year despite the concerns about the fiscal cliff. "The durable goods orders figures show businesses are holding back on new spending, but not cutting spending. It looks like the economy still has some underlying strength that may help us get through the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff. "The personal spending data was decent. It suggests that consumers, though they are still dealing with relatively high unemployment, are spending cautiously and that continues a trend we've seen much of this past year. We probably need to see better employment numbers to see stronger spending numbers." WAYNE KAUFMAN, CHIEF MARKET ANALYST AT JOHN THOMAS FINANCIAL IN NEW YORK "Data looks good. Personal income has been one of the things we were worried about, so this looks really good. Durable goods were also better than expected. These are signs of an improving economy." FOREX: The dollar trimmed losses versus yen, the euro cut losses versus dollar GRAPHICS Consumer spending rose by 0.6 percent in November - the largest jump in three years - suggesting fourth-quarter economic growth might be stronger than expected. http://link.reuters.com/hed44t U.S. durable goods: New orders for durable goods rose by 0.7 percent in November. Excluding transportation and defense, new orders increased by 1.8 percent. http://link.reuters.com/xyk34t

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US durable goods orders up 0.7 percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies boosted their orders in November for long-lasting manufactured goods that reflect investment plans. It was the second straight such increase, an encouraging sign for the economy. The Commerce Department said Friday that overall orders for durable goods rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in November over October. But a more closely watched category of orders that tracks business investment surged 2.7 percent. That followed an upwardly revised 3.2 percent jump in October, the biggest in 10 months. Those back-to-back increases followed a period of weakness in so-called core capital goods that had raised concerns about business investment, a driving force in the economic rebound. The overall increases in orders for durable goods were widespread in November. Only demand for commercial aircraft showed a big decline. The surge in orders in the business investment category defied concerns that businesses might be reducing investment because of uncertainty about how the debate over the "fiscal cliff" will be resolved. The fiscal cliff refers to the set of automatic tax increases and spending cuts that will take effect in January if Congress and the Obama administration don't reach a budget deal first. In addition, Europe's debt crisis and slower growth overseas have cut into U.S. exports and corporate profits and raised further concern. Total orders for transportation equipment dropped 1.1 percent. The decline reflected a 13.9 percent fall in commercial aircraft orders, which offset a 3.5 percent gain in orders for motor vehicles and parts. Excluding transportation, orders for nondurable goods, items expected to last at least three years, rose to $220.9 billion. For the year, they're up 7.3 percent. Orders rose 3.3 percent for machinery rose, 2.4 percent for primary metals such as steel and 3.1 percent for computers. A separate survey by the Institute for Supply Management showed that U.S. manufacturing shrank in November to its weakest level since July 2009. The institute's manufacturing index dropped to 49.5, down from 51.7 in October. Readings above 50 signal growth in manufacturing; readings below 50 indicate contraction. The government said Thursday that the overall economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the July-September quarter. The increase occurred even though business spending on equipment and software fell at an annual rate of 2.6 percent, the first such decline since the spring of 2009, when the economy was in recession. Many economists are concerned that further cutbacks in business investment and cautious consumer spending could help dampen growth in the current quarter to an annual rate of around 1.5 percent. But most think the economy will gradually pick up in 2013 if Congress and the administration can achieve a budget deal that removes uncertainty over changes in taxes and government spending.

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Boehner says Congress, Obama must keep working on fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Friday that congressional leaders and President Barack Obama must try to move on from House Republicans' failed tax plan and work together to resolve the looming U.S. "fiscal cliff." Boehner said he was not concerned that Thursday's withdrawn vote threatened his position as speaker, but did not outline a clear path forward. Boehner said a divided Washington must come together to revamp the massive U.S. tax code in a way that helps spur economic growth. "How we get there, God only knows."

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Canada economy ekes out 0.1 percent growth in October

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian economy grew by just 0.1 percent in October from September, indicating a very slow start to the fourth quarter amid foreign and domestic economic woes, Statistics Canada data indicated on Friday. The figure matched analysts' expectations. The Bank of Canada says fourth quarter growth will be 2.5 percent annualized but the October data confirm market suspicions the real figure will be much less impressive. Overall, output rose in 12 of 18 sectors. Service industries grew by 0.1 percent on strength in wholesale and retail trade while goods production was unchanged. Mining and oil and gas extraction advanced by 0.3 percent while support activities for the mining industry grew by 1.3 percent, reflecting higher drilling and rigging services. Canada is the single biggest exporter of energy to the United States. Manufacturing output fell by 0.4 percent. Canadian firms are struggling to cope with weak markets in the United States and Europe as well as the challenges posed by a strong dollar.

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Clippers beat Hornets 93-77 for 11th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers' franchise record-tying 11th consecutive victory had owner Donald Sterling leading a "hip, hip hooray" chant in the locker room.
Sterling grabbed the hand of coach Vinny Del Negro and held it up, exhorting his team, "Let's hear it for the coach." Then he told Del Negro, "Vinny, give me a hug" and the two men embraced.
"Eleven in a row. Not bad, is it?" Sterling said.
Blake Griffin scored 18 points and Jamal Crawford added 17 in the Clippers' 93-77 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night that tied the franchise mark set by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves.
"That's pretty special, especially to do it at home," said Chris Paul, who had 10 points and 12 assists, giving him 5,003 in his career.
"The food tastes better, the music sounds better, you sleep a little better," Paul said. "Everything seems better when you're winning."
DeAndre Jordan added 12 points for the Clippers, whose 19-6 record is tied with New York for second-best in the NBA.
Robin Lopez scored 14 of his 22 points in the first quarter and rookie Anthony Davis added 16 for the Hornets. They lost their ninth in a row and 11th in 12 games while falling to 2-10 on the road. They were the last team to beat the Clippers on Nov. 26.
"We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy. They made shots that they didn't make the last time we played them, and they got a lot of easy buckets," Davis said. "They've got a great team. They're all capable of scoring the ball, from the starters to the bench."
Four of the Clippers' five starters took the fourth quarter off, with only Willie Green coming back in after having helped build a 19-point lead to start the final period. But the Hornets couldn't get anything going against the second unit that has played a significant role in the Clippers' current run.
"We've been getting off to good starts and not putting so much pressure on our bench," Paul said.
The Hornets staged a brief rally to open the third. Davis scored five in a row in their 12-9 run that drew them within seven. The Clippers took over from there, outscoring New Orleans 18-6 to end the third leading 75-56. They made 8 of 10 free throws, while Paul's fast-break dunk highlighted the spurt. Griffin grabbed his teammate as Paul swung wildly from the basket.
"Oh, did I dunk tonight?'" said Paul, the least likely to dunk on a Clippers team nicknamed "Lob City."
Blake drew laughs when he said, "You saw I had to help him down."
"They really feed off their fast break," Ryan Anderson said. "They're a team that runs, and when they get turnovers they break out and find open guys at the other end. They did that the whole second half and they took advantage of our mistakes."
Paul fed Griffin for a layup late in the second quarter to notch his 5,000th assist, triggering a standing ovation. Griffin got fouled on the play and made the free throw. It came during an 11-0 run that provided the Clippers' largest lead to that point, 46-30. Paul's alley-oop pass to Griffin led to a fast-break dunk for the Clippers' final basket of the half, with them leading 48-38.
"I didn't know what everyone was cheering for," Paul said.
Griffin said, "It's cool to be part of that. It's definitely not the last. I'm looking forward to 10,000."
The Hornets kept it close in the opening quarter, when they trailed 22-16 after Lopez scored 14 points. He was scoreless in the second quarter when he picked up his third foul.
NOTES: Del Negro said Jordan turned his ankle during the game. ... At 27 years, 228 days, Paul is the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 5,000 assists, trailing Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. He is the fifth-fastest to reach the milestone, needing 510 games. ... New Orleans hasn't won since Dec. 3 against Milwaukee. ... Hornets G Eric Gordon missed the game against his former team because of a sore right knee. He smiled when Clippers fans chanted his name in the final 2½ minutes. ... Returning home from a four-game trip, the Clippers had a moment of silence for the victims of last week's school shootings in Connecticut.

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Durant scores 41 as streaking Thunder top Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) — Oklahoma City's biggest stars displayed a unique version of balanced scoring against Atlanta: Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in the first half and Kevin Durant dominated the Hawks over the final two quarters.
Durant set a season high with 41 points and Oklahoma City held off Atlanta 100-92 on Wednesday night for its 12th straight win.
Westbrook had 27 points — 21 in the first half — and 11 assists. Durant scored 28 points in the second half, including 18 in the fourth, and also had 13 rebounds.
No other Oklahoma City player scored in double figures.
"There's going to be nights where one has the hot hand and there's going to be other nights the other does," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
Both top scorers were hot against the Hawks. Durant made six of nine shots in the final period, including three 3-pointers, and the Hawks couldn't find a way to slow the 6-foot-9 forward.
"We double-teamed him, we zoned him," said Hawks coach Larry Drew. "He still made shots. You can't stop him when he's hot like that."
Durant said Westbrook's strong first half helped open more opportunities for him after the break.
"He was aggressive and they were giving him jump shots," Durant said. "We just played off of that. He was very good and it opened up for me in the second half."
Durant acknowledged he launched some "questionable" shots. "But my teammates wanted me to do it," he said.
Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 19 points, Josh Smith had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford and Lou Williams scored 13 apiece.
Durant was especially strong after Atlanta cut a 16-point deficit midway through the third quarter to 73-69.
Durant slowed Atlanta's comeback attempt when he dominated a sequence on both ends of the floor, blocking a shot by Smith before throwing down a jam. Smith drew a foul and Durant sank the free throw to push the lead to 85-75.
With about 3 minutes remaining, Durant hit a fallaway jumper. Less than a minute late, he made a spin move and then sank a 3-pointer over the 6-foot-7 Kyle Korver, who was left shaking his head.
"He's just one of those players," Korver said. "People don't understand how tall he is and how long his arms are."
The fallaway jumper and spinning 3-pointer would have been unlikely attempts for most players.
"That's him, though," Horford said. "He can do it. He's that good of a player, unfortunately for us."
Oklahoma City (21-4) improved the NBA's best record and atoned for a 104-95 home loss to the Hawks on Nov. 4. That loss left Oklahoma City 1-2; it is 20-2 since then and hasn't lost since Nov. 23 at Boston.
The 12 straight wins matches the longest streak for the franchise since 1996, when it had a 14-game winning streak as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Hawks took their last lead at 19-17 on a follow shot by Anthony Morrow. The Thunder then went ahead with a 10-1 run that overlapped the end of the first period and the start of the second. Martin opened and closed the run with jumpers.
Oklahoma City stretched the lead to 17 on four straight free throws by Durant following fouls by Morrow late in the half.
"You can't have a second quarter like we did," Horford said. "We had a lapse and they took a big lead. You can't do that against a team like them."
The Thunder led 68-52 midway through the third quarter, but a technical foul against Smith with 3:12 remaining in the period seemed to spark the Hawks.
Smith sank a 3-pointer as part of Atlanta's 8-0 run to close the period. Anthony Tolliver scored the first three points of the fourth quarter on a free throw and jam to cut the Thunder's lead to 73-69.
Westbrook ended Atlanta's 11-0 run with a jam following an offensive rebound by Nick Collison.
Serge Ibaka had 4 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder.
NOTES: The Thunder assigned F Perry Jones and G DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. Jones, the first-round pick from Baylor, has appeared in 10 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. ... The Hawks were without G Devin Harris, who left Tuesday night's game at Washington after injuring his left foot. He wore a walking boot on Wednesday. ... Morrow returned after missing two games with a sore back. ... Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Dan Uggla, Kris Medlen and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves attended the game and sat with former teammate Tommy Hanson, who was recently traded to the Angels.

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