FRB - Industrial production rose 0.5 percent in March after increasing 1.0 percent in February; the index advanced 4.5 percent at an annual rate for the first quarter as a whole. After having climbed 1.5 percent in February, manufacturing production edged up 0.1 percent in March. Mining output rose 1.0 percent, mostly as a result of gains in oil and gas extraction and in support activities for mining. The index for utilities jumped 3.0 percent after being suppressed in February by warmer-than-normal temperatures. At 107.2 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production was 4.3 percent higher in March than it was a year earlier. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector moved up 0.3 percentage point in March to 78.0 percent, a rate that is 1.8 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2017) average.

WBG - Growth in developing East Asia and Pacific (EAP) is expected to remain strong and reach 6.3 percent in 2018, according to the latest World Bank economic report on the region. Prospects for a continued broad-based global recovery and robust domestic demand underpin this positive outlook. Still, emerging risks to stability and sustained growth require close attention.

REUTERS - But it warned that all its expectations hinged on Ukraine sticking with its $17.5 billion programme with the IMF, which has expressed concern about perceived backtracking on reforms and delays in implementing policies to tackle corruption.

REUTERS - Saudi Arabia has largely covered its hard currency funding needs for 2018 by completing this week’s $11 billion international bond issue, the head of the kingdom’s debt management office said.

INVESTOPEDIA - All of Fred Koch's four sons have become billionaires as a result of the unprecedented growth of the family business. In fact, according to Forbes' real-time net worth estimator, Charles and David Koch alone have a combined net worth of $96.6 billion as of November 2017. The two brothers are the only members of the family's second generation who still play an active role in the management of the company.

REUTERS - On Tuesday, Washington unveiled some $50 billion worth of proposed tariffs on Chinese imports and on Thursday Trump upped the ante, directing U.S. trade officials to identify tariffs on another $100 billion of Chinese imports. He said this was “in light of China’s unfair retaliation” against the earlier U.S. trade action. China responded by saying it was fully prepared to respond with a “fierce counter strike” if the United States followed through on the new threat.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Ожидаемый объем дополнительных нефтегазовых доходов федерального бюджета, связанный с превышением фактически сложившейся цены на нефть над базовым уровнем, прогнозируется в апреле 2018 года в размере +253,8 млрд руб.

BEA - The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the goods and services deficit was $57.6 billion in February, up $0.9 billion from $56.7 billion in January.

REUTERS - Australian gas producer Santos Ltd (STO.AX) said on Tuesday it would “engage with” Harbour Energy after receiving a $10.4 billion takeover offer from the U.S. company, its fourth unsolicited bid since August 2017.

STATOIL - Statoil has awarded drilling contracts to Archer, KCA Deutag and Odfjell Drilling for drilling, completion, intervention services, plugging, maintenance and modifications on 18 of Statoil’s fixed platforms.

LUKOIL - For the full year 2017, profit attributable to our shareholders more than doubled year-on-year and amounted to RUB 418.8 bln. In the fourth quarter of 2017, profit was RUB 120.5 bln, which is 23.8% higher quarter-on-quarter.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «По итогам 2017 года в результате более высоких цен, чем в 2016 году, а они были выше почти на 11 долларов и составили в среднем 54,7 доллара за баррель нефти, бюджет Российской Федерации получил дополнительно порядка 1 триллиона 200 миллиардов рублей, компании получили около 500 миллиардов рублей. Общая экспортная выручка была выше примерно на 31 миллиард долларов именно по нефти и по газу в результате более высоких цен. Это позитивно повлияло, в том числе и на инвестиционные программы», - сказал Министр.

BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 3.2 percent.

WNN - Westinghouse Electric Company's reorganisation plan - including its sale to Brookfield - has been approved by the US Bankruptcy Court. Westinghouse said the court's approval of the plan is a "significant milestone in the company's strategic restructuring".

BLOOMBERG - The government has paid out 109 billion kroner ($14 billion) since 2005 to explorers such as Lundin Petroleum AB and Repsol SA. It helped attract more companies to Norway, nearly doubling the pace of exploration and leading to key discoveries such as the multi-billion-barrel Johan Sverdrup field.