On tap Thursday: Aside from.........>

US DATA PREVIEW: On tap Thursday: Aside from weekly claims and the Bloomberg

comfort index for December; Leading Indicators for November (flat estimate);

Philadelphia Fed Mfg Index (15.0 est).

- Morgan Stanley economists anticipate flat leading indicators for November,

"following 13 consecutive months of growth. A print in line with our forecast

would be a preliminary indication of slowing economic activity through the end

of the year and into 2019."

- Nomura economists on the Philly Fed survey forecast "a slight rebound to

16.0," noting the survey "sent a conflicting signal in November when it dropped

sharply to 12.9. While continued easing of manufacturers' sentiment appears

likely, incoming data suggest that the manufacturing sector activity still

remains healthy. However, a sharp drop in the new orders index in November to

9.1 from 19.3 suggests further easing in activity in the sector. Ongoing

concerns over tariffs, input costs and external demand may continue to weigh on

the topline index.