US insurer, Genworth Financial Inc. is to make the second attempt in two years to float off part of its Australian mortgage insurance business with the aim of raising around $A880 million.

Friday’s sell off on Wall Street shares extended to Asian and European markets overnight, and then returned to pull Wall Street lower for a third day by the time trading finished early today, Australian time.

The Aussie dollar continued to trade just under the 93 USc mark yesterday, while the local market fell sharply in early trading, as expected, but fought back to regain most of the losses.

Aussie shares are heading for a big fall when trading starts this morning on the ASX.

US first quarter earnings, Chinese trade and inflation data, Australian jobs and employment and a couple of important local results – there’s a mixed package ahead of us this week after last week’s data deluge.

The tech stock correction on Wall Street continued on Friday, while the controversy continued over Flash Boys, the Michael Lewis book about high frequency trading on the stockmarket (HFT).

Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has once again thrown down the gauntlet to everyone in the country to have a real debate about taxes, growth and other economic issues.

There was nothing in yesterday’s data flow to change anyone’s thinking on the health and direction of the economy – still ambling along, growing below trend and not showing any signs of exuberance.

The Australian home building boom remains on track, as the Reserve Bank has been suggesting now for the past year.

The Aussie dollar was buffeted yesterday by buying pressure in the wake of the expected decision by the Reserve Bank to leave interest rates on hold – and the weak report on part of China’s huge manufacturing sector from HSBC Markit.

Mixed news from Asia in a mix of start of month and quarter reports from Japan, China, Indonesia, India, South Korea and Taiwan and Australia.

More evidence yesterday that the economy is starting to tick over a bit more quickly.

Most sharemarkets ended March on an up note in what some analysts said was a bout of window dressing (designed to lift prices and indexes and produce more fees for managers).

A mixed to surprisingly solid quarter for many commodities – ignoring the weakness in gold and copper’s woes – with agricultural products, such as the grains, sugar and coffee the standout performers.

Another big data week for Australia, and a number of other economies offshore with the monthly surveys of manufacturing and then services, a couple of central bank meetings, and to cap off the week, the all important US jobs report on Friday night – this time its for March.

It’s extremely rare that a book can unsettle Wall Street.

Another strong week for the Australian dollar, which hit a series of new four month highs in offshore trading on Friday night and early Saturday, our time.

While markets were mostly mixed to slightly stronger last week, the US Nasdaq market and its plethora of tech stocks fell sharply, especially biotechs.

The Australian dollar jumped towards 93 US cents last night as markets ignored a fitful attempt from Reserve bank Governor, Glenn Stevens to talk the currency lower in a major speech in Hong Kong yesterday.

Yes, the Reserve Bank scolded banks and other home lenders about a drift in lending practices – but on the whole, the sector remains conservative and well placed financially, as tipped in yesterday’s email.

The health of Australia’s financial system will get a big tick this week in the Reserve Bank’s first report on financial stability for 2014, to be released later today.