MNI US Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - As US traders arrive at their desks comes the ECB monetary

policy decision at 1145GMT. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will

try to pull-off a tricky balancing act at Thursday's press conference following

the Governing Council meeting, by setting out in detail how the ECB will reduce

its asset purchases while also trying to meet the more dovish Governing council

members' pleas for flexibility should price pressures abate.

     The first US release of the day comes at 1230GMT in the form of US Jobless

Claims. The level of initial jobless claims is expected to rise by 13,000 to a

still-low 235,000 in the October 21 week after a 22,000 decrease in the previous

week to the lowest level since 1973. The four-week moving average would fall by

8,500 in the coming week as that 269,000 level in the September 23 week drops

out of the calculation, assuming the MNI forecast is correct and there are no

revisions.

     Alongside this release comes US Advance Trade and Advance Business

Inventories.

     Also at 1230GMT is the Canadian Payroll Employment data and ECB President

Mario Draghi will being his press conference following the ECB rate announcement

in Frankfurt.

     The US Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index is at 1345GMT.

     At 1400GMT US Building Permits revisions are due to be published, NAR

Pending Home Sales are also due at 1400GMT.

     US Natural Gas Stocks are on the docket at 1430GMT, while Minneapolis

Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari will give Welcoming Remarks at

Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute Fall Conference in Minneapolis.

     At 1500GMT comes the Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index.

     Rounding off the day at 2030GMT is the Fed Weekly Money Supply data.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 203 865 3809; email: kieran.williams@marketnews.com