(eToro Blog) The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that applications for U.S. home mortgages rose last week due to increased demand for purchases and refinancing. The seasonally adjusted index of mortgage applications increased 4.5% last week. Refinancing applications increased 3.3% and number of loan requests for home purchases grew 8.1%.

Japanese yen is gaining against the euro and the pound today, thanks to renewed fears about what’s next for Europe. Yen is lower against the US dollar, though, thanks in part to the re-emergence of the trade deficit in Japan. As long as concerns about Europe, and the banking industry, remain, yen is likely to find some strength against European cu

The Great Britain pound went down today after trade balance deficit widened retail price inflation slowed. The sterling also weakened on speculation that the Bank of England will add stimulus.

Seasonally adjusted trade deficit rose to £8.6 billion in November from £7.9 billion in October. The shop price index of British Retail Consortium fell to 1.

The euro declined today after Fitch Ratings spoke about possible worsening of Europe’s credit crisis and potential disintegration of the eurozone.

Fitch said the European Central Bank should ramp up its bond purchases, otherwise the euro risks collapsing. A report tomorrow is expected to show a 0.2 percent decline of eurozone industrial prod