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Gold continues to fall on fears of an interest rate hike in the US
Gold prices fell on Monday to their lowest level in more than two-months, amid fears of an increase in U.S. interest rates following a positive jobs report. Meanwhile, renewed hostilities across the Middle East drove oil prices up and increased inflation concerns. Gold spot was down 0.3% to $4,315.71 an ounce at 0725 GMT. It had fallen to its lowest level since March 23 during the earlier session. Prices dropped by?3% Friday, reaching a two-month low. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery were down 0.6% to $4,341.10. Kelvin Wong is a senior analyst at OANDA. He said that gold was under pressure due to the increased Treasury yields. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury Note rose, after reaching a two-week-high in the previous session. This increased the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold. Israel claimed it had struck military targets on the western and central Iranian coasts, despite reports that U.S. president Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any more attacks. Oil prices rose by more than $4 per barrel, causing inflation fears and interest rate increases to rise. Gold is often seen as a hedge to inflation. However, higher interest rates can weigh down on this non-yielding material. The U.S. Economy posted a strong third consecutive month in May. This confirms that the labour market is gaining momentum after last year's stumble. It also gives the central bank more leeway to keep rates stable amid rising inflation caused by the Iran War. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the markets are pricing in an increase by the Federal Reserve before year-end. There is a 72% probability of this happening by December. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack stated on Friday that the new job numbers showed the labour market was?roughly in balance and close to?full employment', while the continued high inflation could?require the Fed raising rates soon to control it. Silver spot was down by 0.5% to $67.47 an ounce. Platinum fell 0.6% to 1,766.70 while palladium rose 0.3% to $1229. (Reporting and editing by Subhranshu sahu in Bengaluru, Sherry Jacob-Phillips).
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Wall Street Journal, June 8,
These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. These?stories have not been?verified' and we cannot?guarantee? their?accuracy. Israel and Iran traded missile strikes Monday, after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire in early April. This was their first direct attack since the truce went into effect. - Nvidia is ?teaming up with South Korea's SK Telecom and Naver ?to build gigawatt-scale artificial-intelligence cloud infrastructure in Asia. - Intesa Sanpaolo said ?it has launched a EUR30.66 billion ($35.33 ?billion) unsolicited cash-and-share ?takeover bid for Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Roche has announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement and collaboration with Nurix Therapeutics for the development of blood cancer drug,?bexobrutideg. The deal is worth up to $2.3 Billion. OPEC and their 'allies' agreed to increase oil production?by 188,000??barrels a day in July, amid Middle East tensions which have?disrupted a major oil?shipping?route. Ingredion announced that it had agreed to purchase Tate & Lyle, a British company, for PS2.7 billion ($3.6 'billion) cash. The deal stipulated a price of?595 per share.
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Gold continues to fall on fears of an interest rate hike in the US
Gold prices sank on Monday due to a growing 'fear of an increase in U.S. interest rates? after a positive jobs report. Meanwhile, renewed hostilities across the Middle East drove oil prices up and increased inflation fears. Gold spot fell 1% at $4,287.66 an ounce as of 0544 GMT. Prices dropped about 3% Friday, reaching their lowest level since March 24. U.S. Gold futures for August delivered?were down by 1.2% to $4,311. The market's hawkishness is reflected in the Fed futures, said Kelvin Woong, senior analyst at OANDA. He added that higher Treasury yields are further pushing gold down. The yield on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes rose, after jumping to two-week highs in the previous session. This increased the opportunity cost for holding non-yielding gold. Israel claimed it had struck military targets in western and central Iran, despite the fact that U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any further attacks. Oil prices increased by more than $3 per barrel, causing inflation fears and interest rate increases to rise. Gold is often seen as a hedge to inflation. However, rising interest rates can weigh on this non-yielding precious metal. The U.S. Economy posted a strong third consecutive month of job gains in the month of May. This confirms that the labour market is gaining momentum after its stumble last year, and gives the central bank more room to maintain rates despite rising inflation caused by the Iran War. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the markets are pricing in an increase by the Federal Reserve before year-end. There is a 72% probability of this happening by December. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack stated on Friday that the new jobs numbers showed the 'labour market is roughly balanced?and close to full employment. Meanwhile, continued high inflation may require the Fed raising rates soon to control it. Silver spot was down by 2.2% to $66.33, platinum fell 2.1% to 1,739.78 and palladium dropped 1.5% to 1,207.50. (Reporting by Pablo Sinha in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
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Gold continues to fall on fears of an interest rate hike in the US
Gold prices extended their?losses Monday due to a growing?fear of an U.S. rate?hike?following a strong jobs?report, while renewed hostilities and inflation concerns in the Middle East drove oil prices up. By 0429 GMT, spot gold had fallen 0.2% to $4319.09 an ounce. Prices dropped by about 3% Friday, reaching their lowest level since March 24. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery?were down by 0.5% to $4,343.20. The market's hawkishness is reflected in the Fed futures, said Kelvin Woong, senior analyst at OANDA. He added that higher Treasury yields are further pushing gold down. The yield on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes rose, after soaring to a 2-week high in the previous session. This increased the opportunity cost for holding non-yielding gold. Israel claimed it had struck military targets in western and central Iran, despite the fact that U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any further attacks. Oil prices increased by more than $3 per barrel, causing inflation fears and interest rate increases to rise. Gold is often seen as a hedge to inflation. However, rising interest rates can weigh down on this non-yielding precious metal. The U.S. Economy posted a strong third consecutive month of job gains in the month of May. This confirms that the labour market is gaining momentum after its stumble last year, and gives the central bank more room to maintain rates despite rising inflation caused by the Iran War. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the markets are pricing in an increase by the Federal Reserve before year-end. There is a 72% probability of this happening by December. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack stated on Friday that the new jobs figures show the labour market is roughly in balance and near full employment. However, the continued high inflation could require the Fed raise rates quickly to contain it. Silver spot was steady at $67.86 an ounce. Platinum lost 0.5% at $1,767.42 and palladium remained unchanged at $1.225.67. (Reporting by Pablo Sinha in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
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London Copper nears 1-week Low on Continued Inflation Worries
London copper was near its one-week lows Monday due to a combination of 'weaker Chinese metal prices' and a growing expectation that the Federal Reserve will be pushed towards rate hikes by strong U.S. job data and higher oil costs. Benchmark 'three-month copper' on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.38% at $13,570.5 per metric ton as of 0331 GMT. LME copper fell to its lowest level since May 28 due to a rising dollar, and inflation fears. Industrial metals are more dependent on economic growth, so higher interest rates can dampen their prospects. Official data showed that the U.S. economy created 172,000 new jobs in May. This was more than double what analysts expected. The strong data was released less than two weeks before Kevin Warsh made his debut as the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve. According to CME's FedWatch, expectations of a rate hike in December have risen to 78%. The most traded copper contract at the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 1.5%, to 104160 yuan (15,354.45) per ton. The trend was a sell-off in tech stocks across Asia as China and Hong Kong opened lower Monday, following their U.S. counterparts. The Yangshan Copper Premium The price of copper in China, which reflects the demand for imports, dropped to $64 a ton at the end of Friday's trading, its lowest level since April 30. China has historically been sensitive to high prices. Oil prices increased by?3.68% Monday, after Iran and Israel exchanged?fire Sunday and Monday. Aluminium, zinc, and lead all saw a slight increase. Nickel also increased by 0.4%. Tin, however, fell by 1.48%. On the SHFE, elsewhere, aluminum fell 0.74%. Zinc also dropped 0.74%. Lead dipped by 0.21%. Nickel gained 0.79%. Tin plunged 5.97%.
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The morning bid rally in Europe turns ugly
Rae Wee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. A sell-off in technology stocks spread across Asia on Monday, as investors slammed brakes on AI's red-hot rally. South Korea's KOSPI fell by more than 8% and triggered circuit breakers. The move?followed?that of the Wall Street shakeout last week, after an explosive U.S. employment report heightened expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes - a bane to growth stocks. According to CME FedWatch, the markets now price in a greater than 70% chance of the Fed raising rates in December. This is up from just 45%?a week earlier. The nonfarm payrolls data released on Friday came only days after Broadcom reported a disappointing result last week. This sent its stock plummeting, and also dragged down the share prices of technology companies. When expectations are so high, a slight miss can be a major blow. Most analysts and investors have dismissed the latest sell-off as "a healthy correction" with concentration risks and leveraged position?amplifying market movements. However, it is still unclear how long this rout will continue. The dollar reached a new two-month high in other markets. This was due to the Fed's bets on a rate hike and the resilience of the U.S. economic system. Investors are on high alert as Tokyo is expected to continue buying yen in order to stem the currency's decline. On Monday, revised gross domestic product figures showed that Japan's economy had lost momentum from the previous quarter to the first three months of this year. This was due to a slowdown in capital expenditure. The data calendar is light for Monday, but the week ahead will be dominated by the SpaceX listing, U.S. Inflation data and a European Central Bank meeting. The war in the Middle East continues, with Israel claiming to have struck military targets on?western Iran and central Iran, despite the fact that U.S. president Donald Trump had reportedly instructed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any further attacks. Market developments on Monday that may have a significant impact Boeing will?release numbers for May deliveries and orders - Global airline CEOs gathering for an event in Rio de Janeiro France: Reopening the 3-month, 4-months, 6-months and 11-months government debt auctions - Germany: Reopening 5-month and 11 month government debt auctions
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Iran's envoy in Moscow said that the strait of Hormuz will be open, but there will be transit fees.
Iran's ambassador in Moscow was quoted on Monday as saying that the Strait of Hormuz would be open, but with new?conditions set by Iran? and?Oman?, including a?transit fee. The U.S. and Israeli war?on Iran 'has largely reduced oil flows through the strait. Before the conflict, one-fifth the world's crude oil passed through the strait. Recently, several tankers left the Gulf. However, oil and LNG flows remain severely constrained. In an interview published Monday, Ambassador Kazem Jalali said that the strait would be opened, but new conditions would be set by the Iranians and Omanis. We understand that Iran, Oman and other countries provide certain services related to the strait. He said that fees would be charged for?those services? without elaborating. Iran claims that a permanent agreement for peace should allow it the right to charge fees on ships transiting the Strait. These fees would depend on the type of vessel, the cargo, and the conditions. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, is strongly opposed to this position. The U.S. warned Oman in late May not to participate in any effort to impose a tax with Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Oman's ambassador had told him there was no plan to impose this toll. Israel announced on Monday that it had struck military targets in central and western Iran even though Trump reportedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any more attacks. Japan, which imported?95%?of its oil needs from the Middle East prior to the war, has said that it didn't pay a fee when a crude oil tanker linked to Japan passed through the waterway last May.
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Gold continues to fall on fears of an interest rate hike in the US
Gold prices continued to fall 'on Monday, due to fears of a rate hike in the U.S. after a strong jobs report. Meanwhile, renewed hostilities across the Middle East drove oil prices up and increased inflation concerns. By 0302 GMT, spot gold had fallen 0.4% to $4313.11 an ounce. Prices dropped by about 3% Friday, reaching their lowest level since March 24. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery?were down by 0.7% to $4,336.30. The market's hawkishness is reflected in the Fed futures, said Kelvin Woong, senior analyst at OANDA. He added that higher Treasury yields are further pushing gold down. The yield on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes rose, after reaching a two-week high in the previous session. This increased the opportunity cost for holding non-yielding gold. Israel claimed that it had?hit military targets?in central and western Iran on Monday despite the fact that U.S. president Donald Trump reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch any further attacks. Oil prices increased by more than $3 per barrel, causing inflation fears and interest rate increases to rise. Gold is often seen as a hedge to inflation. However, rising interest rates can weigh on this non-yielding precious metal. The U.S. Economy posted a strong third consecutive month of job gains in the month of May. This confirms that the labour market is gaining momentum after its stumble last year, and gives the central bank more room to maintain rates despite rising inflation caused by the Iran War. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, the markets are pricing in an increase by the Federal Reserve before year-end. There is a 72% probability of this happening by December. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack stated on Friday that the new jobs figures show that the labour market is roughly in balance and near full employment. However, the continued high inflation could require the Fed raising rates soon to control it. Silver spot fell by 0.4%, to $67.56 an ounce. Platinum lost 0.5%, to $1,767.15, and palladium remained at $1,225.66. (Reporting by Pablo Sinha in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
Asian stocks slip, rattled by South Korean political unrest
Asian equities found Wednesday while currencies were volatile as traders rushed to compete with the political storm in South Korea, where martial law was imposed and consequently raised hours later on.
South Korea's won enhanced in early trading buoyed by believed intervention but stayed close to the two-year low versus the dollar it hit late on Tuesday.
The benchmark KOSPI index was down nearly 2%, taking its year-to-date losses to over 7%, making it the worst carrying out significant stock exchange in Asia this year.
That left the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, which counts Samsung Electronics as one of its top constituents, down 0.32% on Wednesday.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would raise a surprise martial law statement he had enforced simply hours in the past, backing down in a standoff with parliament which roundly declined his effort to ban political activity.
Martial law itself has actually been lifted but this occurrence produces more uncertainty in the political landscape and the economy, said Min Joo Kang, senior financial expert at ING.
We are concerned that these occasions could affect South Korea's sovereign credit score, although this is uncertain at this stage. Nevertheless, this is a scenario that might happen.
South Korea's finance ministry stated it was prepared to deploy unlimited liquidity into monetary markets if needed, with the Yonhap news agency saying the financial regulator was all set to deploy 10 trillion won ($ 7.07 billion) in a stock market stabilisation fund. The finance minister holds a press conference at 0120 GMT.
A bit of unpredictability here given how the events played ... that can sustain some rush to security. However Korean authorities appear to be moving rapidly to stabilise markets, and the impact is likely to be short-lived, said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo.
Still, the shock to the marketplace from East Asia stired further concerns of unpredictabilities around the world, with investors already reeling from the political turmoil in France that has weighed on the euro, which was down 0.11% at $1.04975.
French bond futures fell 0.13% while European stock futures was 0.14% lower ahead of French lawmakers' vote on Wednesday on no-confidence movements which are all however particular to oust the delicate union of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
If the government collapses, an emergency legislation will likely be embraced to avoid a government shutdown ... the spread between French and German 10-year government bond yields can further move versus the euro, stated Carol Kong, currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
On the macro side, investors are expecting more hints to evaluate the policy course the Federal Reserve will likely take next year, with much-anticipated November work report due on Friday.
U.S. job openings increased sturdily in October while layoffs visited the most in 1-1/2 years, information revealed on Tuesday, recommending the labour market continued to slow in an orderly fashion although another study revealed companies were reluctant to hire more workers.
Markets are now ascribing a 72% possibility of a 25 basis point cut this month, with 80 bps of cuts anticipated by the end of next year.
U.S. main bankers stated they continue to believe inflation is heading down to their 2% target and indicated assistance for even more rate cuts ahead, but none pressed highly for or versus doing so when they next satisfy to set rates in 2 weeks.
The spotlight now turns to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday who will give what are anticipated to be his last public remarks before the conference.
The dollar index, which determines the U.S. currency versus six competitors, was up 0.12% at 106.45. Gold rates relieved 0.17% to $2,639 on a strong dollar.
Oil costs were flat after acquiring more than 2% in the previous session as Israel threatened to assault the Lebanese state if its truce with Hezbollah collapses, and as financiers positioned for OPEC+ to reveal an extension of supply cuts today.
(source: Reuters)