by Calculated Risk on 12/23/2013 08:36:00 PM

China remains a risk, from the WSJ: China Cash Crunch Shows Central Bank's Difficulties

A cash crunch among China's banks intensified, highlighting the difficulties faced by the central bank in managing an increasingly stressed financial system.
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The current squeeze is driven by several factors, analysts said. One is a little-noticed drop in China's year-end government spending. ... Banks are becoming more cautious and are hoarding more cash for future needs in case the cash squeeze worsens. Some of them are also boosting provisions for potential loan defaults.
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"To prevent systemic risks, and reduce the impact on liquidity, the supervision of the interbank market will continue to be strengthened," analysts at Bank of China Ltd. said in a report Monday, adding that interbank lending was "accentuating hidden dangers" in the financial system. The rise in rates came despite the Chinese central bank's announcement late Friday that it had injected more than 300 billion yuan into the financial system over a three-day period following the increase in interbank rates last week.

Tuesday: All US markets will close early

• At 7:00 AM ET, Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

• At 8:30 AM, Durable Goods Orders for November from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for a 1.5% increase in durable goods orders.

• At 9:00 AM, the FHFA House Price Index for October 2013. This was original a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index. The consensus is for a 0.4% increase.

• At 10:00 AM, New Home Sales for November from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for an increase in sales to 450 thousand Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) in November from 444 thousand in October.

• Also at 10:00 AM, Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for December. The consensus is a reading of 10, down from 13 in November (above zero is expansion).