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☆ Gold retreats as Middle East tensions ebb
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold and silver bars of various sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metals dealer Pro Aurum in Munich. Gold prices dipped on Monday, as easing fears of a wider Middle East conflict lowered bullion's safe-haven appeal, while market participants awaited a key U.S. inflation reading due later this week for interest rate cues. Spot gold fell 0.9% to $2,369.97 per ounce, as of 0451 GMT. Asian stocks recovered some losses and bond yields rose as fears of a wider Middle East conflict ebbed, with investors gravitating back towards riskier assets. Among other precious metals, spot silver fell 2.3% to $27.99 per ounce, spot platinum rose 0.3% to $934.03, and palladium fell 0.3% to $1,023.17.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Wong, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Aurum, Asia Pacific, Treasury, Chicago Federal Locations: Munich, U.S, Tehran, Iran, OANDA, Israel, Hamas

☆ Gold shines as geopolitical tensions offset easing U.S. rate-cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An employee holds one kilogram gold bullion at the YLG Bullion International Co. headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Gold prices climbed on Thursday, as risks of a widening Middle East conflict raised bullion's safe-haven appeal, overshadowing pressures from higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates. Spot gold was up 0.6% at $2,374.97 per ounce, as of 0429 GMT, after hitting an all-time high of $2,431.29 last Friday. Although, "U.S. interest rates remaining higher for a longer may be adding some pressure to the ongoing boost for gold ... Higher interest rates reduce the appeal of holding non-yielding bullion.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Benjamin Netanyahu, Wong, Jerome Powell, Mario Centeno Organizations: Co, Asia Pacific Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, OANDA, Israel, Iran

☆ Gold hovers near record high with focus on U.S. data, Fed minutes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One kilogram gold bullion at the YLG Bullion International Co. headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Spot gold was up 0.3% at $2,345.09 per ounce, as of 0621 GMT, after hitting a record high of $2,353.79 on Monday. The minutes of the Fed's March policy meeting and the U.S. Consumer Price Index, or CPI, data are due on Wednesday. "Inflation data this week poses a risk if the readings come out on the hotter side of the ledger. Spot silver rose 0.2% to $27.90 per ounce, after hitting its highest levels since June 2021 earlier in the session.

Persons: Tim Waterer, Waterer, Kelvin Wong Organizations: Co, Federal, KCM Trade, U.S . Consumer, Fed, Asia Pacific, OANDA Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, ., U.S

☆ Gold stays below key $2,000 level as markets temper Fed rate-cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An employee handles one kilogram gold bullion at the YLG Bullion International Co. headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Gold prices lingered near a two-month low on Wednesday, trading below the key $2,000-per-ounce level, as a stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation report prompted traders to trim bets for deeper rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Spot gold was flat at $1,992.21 per ounce (Oz), as of 0429 GMT, after hitting its lowest since Dec. 13 on Tuesday. The next key support level for spot gold is $1,975/Oz as it coincided with the December Federal Open Market Committee meeting where they announced three-quarter point rate cuts in 2024, fuelling a gold rally, said Wong. Traders have lowered their bets from four quarter-point rate cuts for 2024, in line with the Fed's "dot plot" released in December.

Persons: Bullion, Gold, Kelvin Wong, Wong Organizations: Co, Federal Reserve, Asia Pacific, Traders, U.S, Investors Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, OANDA

☆ Gold hits near 7-month peak as dollar, yields weaken on Fed rate cut bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold rose 0.2% to $2,044.53 per ounce by 0453 GMT after hitting its highest since May 5. U.S. gold futures for December delivery rose 0.3% to $2,045.40 per ounce. "The key point data to look for is the PCE (personal consumption expenditures) data and markets are expecting another slowdown in inflationary pressure in U.S.," said Wong. Investors' attention is now on the revised U.S. third-quarter GDP figures, due at 1330 GMT and on key PCE data — Fed's preferred inflation gauge — on Thursday. According to Reuters' technical analyst Wang Tao, spot gold may extend gains into a range of $2,059 to $2,069 per ounce.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Wong, Christopher Waller —, CME's, Wang Tao Organizations: U.S ., Federal Reserve, Asia Pacific, Traders, Reuters Locations: OANDA, —

☆ Gold gains as weaker U.S. dollar, yields lift demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A worker handles an Argor-Heraeus SA one kilogram gold bar at Solar Capital Gold Zrt. arranged in Budapest, HungaryGold prices rose on Thursday, hovering close to a key $2,000 per ounce level, as an overall weaker U.S. dollar and lower Treasury yields buoyed demand for bullion. The dollar was down 0.1% against its rivals after gains in the last two sessions, making gold less expensive for other currency holders. The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields fell to a two-month low on Wednesday. Lower interest rates decrease the opportunity cost of holding gold.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, CME's Organizations: Heraeus SA, Solar, U.S, U.S ., Asia Pacific, . U.S, U.S . Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Budapest, Hungary, ., OANDA

☆ Reaction to Sam Altman's return as OpenAI CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Altman, CEO of Microsoft-backed OpenAI and ChatGPT creator speaks during a talk at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel June 5, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Openai LLC FollowNov 22 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement for Sam Altman to return as CEO days after his ouster, capping frenzied discussions about the future of the startup at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. THRIVE CAPITAL, OPENAI SHAREHOLDER"OpenAI has the potential to be one of the most consequential companies in the history of computing. "Sam Altman seems awfully powerful and it is unclear that any board would be able to oversee him. Altman and (Microsoft CEO) Nadella may have pushed to allow Altman a much freer hand."

Persons: Sam Altman, Amir Cohen, OpenAI, DANNI HEWSON, BELL, Altman, DANIELA HATHORN, Altman's, Greg, Brockman, ChatGPT's, would've, SUSANNAH STREETER, HARGREAVES LANSDOWN, Sam Altman's, KELVIN WONG, MAK, Nadella, hasn't, Supantha Mukherjee, Ankika Biswas, Bansari Mayur, Aditya Soni, Miyoung Kim, Nivedita Organizations: Microsoft, Tel Aviv University, REUTERS, BANK, OpenAI, MNC, OF, UNIVERSITY OF, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE BUSINSS, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, OpenAI, Stockholm, Bengaluru

☆ Oil retreats on caution ahead of OPEC+ meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent crude futures fell 51 cents, or 0.6%, to $81.81 a barrel by 0746 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $77.32 a barrel, down 51 cents, or 0.7%. Both contracts climbed about 2% on Monday after three OPEC+ sources told Reuters that the group, made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, was set to consider whether to make additional oil supply cuts when it meets on Nov. 26. "Market participants have started to price in an extension of the current quantum oil supply cut into 2024 or even deeper cuts in the upcoming OPEC+ meeting," he added. OPEC+ is likely to extend or even deepen oil supply cuts into next year, eight analysts have predicted. Weekly stockpile reports from the American Petroleum Institute and the Energy Information Administration are due later on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Helima Croft, Florence Tan, Yuka Obayashi, Sonali Paul, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: cnsphoto, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, SINGAPORE, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Reuters, Organization of, Petroleum, RBC Capital, Traders, Walmart, American Petroleum Institute, Energy Information Administration, Thomson Locations: Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China, Singapore, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Tokyo

REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped by 1% on Tuesday, erasing most of Monday's gains, as mixed economic data from the world's second largest oil consumer China and winter demand worries offset the impact of Saudi Arabia and Russia extending output cuts. Both benchmarks gained about 30 cents on Monday after top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to extra voluntary oil supply cuts until the end of the year. Expectations of crude run reductions by China-based refiners between November and December may limit oil demand and exacerbate price declines. Looking ahead on the supply side, markets are waiting to see how long Saudi Arabia and Russia are ready to rein in production. Moscow also announced it would continue its additional voluntary supply cut of 300,000 bpd from its crude oil and petroleum product exports until the end of December.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Leon Li, Kelvin Wong, Trixie Yap, Yuka Obayashi, Jamie Freed, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Markets, ING, Thomson Locations: Midland , Texas, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Shanghai, OPEC, Moscow, Singapore, Tokyo

☆ Gold slips as yields tick higher, Powell speech in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold bars arranged at the Korea Gold Exchange store in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Gold prices slipped on Monday due to a slight uptick in U.S. bond yields, ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later this week for more clarity on the interest rate outlook. Spot gold was down 0.4% at $1,983.49 per ounce by 0444 GMT after rising above the key $2,000 level on Friday. "The major factor that will influence gold in the near-term will be the U.S. 10-year Treasury yields ... if you start to see resurgence in yields, gold could break below the key support level around $1,974," said Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at OANDA. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose to 4.5910% after hitting a five-week low on Friday, decreasing appeal for non-yielding bullion.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Kelvin Wong Organizations: Korea Gold Exchange, Federal, Asia Pacific, Traders, Trust, ANZ Locations: Seoul, South Korea, U.S

☆ Gold jumps on safe-haven demand after Gaza hospital strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices rose to a one-month high on Wednesday, after a deadly blast in Gaza fueled fears about the regional conflict escalating and kept the safe-haven asset a favored choice against war risks. Spot gold rose 0.8% to $1,938.19 per ounce by 0501 GMT, after scaling its highest since Sept. 20 earlier in the session. "Safe-haven flows amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have remained the dominant catalyst for gold prices," IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong said. Gold prices have surged about $100 since the conflict began, despite recent robust U.S. economic data boosting bets of higher-for-longer interest rates, which tends to weigh on non-yielding gold. Investors now await Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech on Thursday for cues on interest rates.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Yeap Jun Rong, Jerome Powell's, OCBC, Bullion Organizations: Asia Pacific, West Bank, Investors, Federal Locations: Gaza, OANDA, Gaza City

Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.98, or 2.39%, to $84.89 a barrel. "(A) geopolitical risk premium still lingers around the corner that is likely to support oil prices in the short-term," said Kelvin Wong, senior markets analyst at OANDA in Singapore. Russia is the world's second-largest oil producer and a major exporter and the tighter U.S. scrutiny of its shipments could curtail supply. Oil prices also shrugged off data released on Friday showing a month-on-month decline in Chinese crude imports.

Persons: Brent, WTI, Kelvin Wong, Wong, Daniel Hynes, Hynes, Paul Carsten, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, Christian Schmollinger, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, US West Texas, Hamas, OANDA, Organization of, Petroleum, ANZ, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Brent, Israel, Singapore, East, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, China, London, Tokyo, Beijing

☆ Gold steady as Fed officials adopt dovish policy tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices held near a more than one-week high on Wednesday as the dollar edged lower after several U.S. Federal Reserve officials suggested that the recent surge in Treasury yields might make further rate hikes less necessary. Spot gold was trading at $1,859.43 per ounce as of 0529 GMT after hitting its highest level since Sept. 29 on Tuesday. The dollar dipped to nearly a two-week trough against a basket of currencies, tracking a slide in U.S. Treasury yields that have retreated from their 2007 highs scaled last week. Higher rates raise the opportunity cost of holding gold, which is priced in dollars and does not yield any interest. Elsewhere, spot silver rose 0.2% to $21.85 per ounce, platinum gained 0.6% to $885.93 and palladium added 0.5% at $1,175.13.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Neel Kashkari, Raphael Bostic, Wong Organizations: . Federal Reserve, Treasury, Asia Pacific, OANDA . Minneapolis, Atlanta Fed, CPI Locations: Moscow, Russia, ., U.S, OANDA

☆ Gold gains as U.S. dollar, yields lose steam ahead of data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices gained on Tuesday as a recent rally in the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields showed signs of fatigue ahead of crucial inflation and jobs data this week that could define the outlook for interest rates. Gold prices are seeing short-covering by speculators as a minor key resistance at $1,907 that coincided with the 200-day moving average has been surpassed, said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst, Asia Pacific, OANDA. Helping gold further, the dollar dipped against a basket of major currencies, while benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields moved further away from their highest levels since 2007 hit last week. A weaker dollar tends to make gold, which yields no interest, less expensive for other currency holders. With elevated rates, consumer spending is likely to slow and a recession becomes almost inevitable, which would result in falling bond yields and a weaker dollar, and gold prices could rebound, Heraeus analysts wrote in a note.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Jerome Powell's, Wong Organizations: Heraeus, Solar, U.S ., Treasury, Federal, Trust, Palladium Locations: Budapest, Hungary, ., Asia Pacific

☆ Gold loiters near 5-month low as traders hunt for more Fed cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A staff member selects a gold bracelet for a customer at a gold shop in Renhuai, Southwest China's Guizhou province, May 11, 2023. Gold held around five-month lows on Monday, pressured by higher bond yields as markets geared up for the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium for clues on where interest rates might settle. Spot gold was largely flat at $1,887.70 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures added 0.1% to $1,917.70. Gold grazed its lowest since mid-March at $1,883.70 last week, as buoyant economic data raised bets for higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates, reducing demand for the non-yielding commodity. Investors now look to Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech on Friday, as central bankers from around the world assemble in Jackson Hole for their annual conference.

Persons: Gold, Jackson, Ole Hansen, Saxo, Jerome Powell's, Kelvin Wong Organizations: Federal, Treasury, U.S . Federal Reserve, Trust Locations: Renhuai, Southwest China's Guizhou province, U.S, Jackson, Asia Pacific

☆ Gold set for worst week in six as U.S. yields surge before jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices looked set to post their worst week in six on Friday as investors braced for a closely watched U.S. jobs report after a string of solid economic data this week drove Treasury yields to nine-month highs. Spot gold was little changed at $1,935.07 per ounce by 0412 GMT, while U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $1,970.30. Gold prices have declined more than 1% so far this week, having slipped to their lowest level since July 11 in the last session. U.S. long-term Treasury yields climbed to their highest since November on Thursday after employment and other economic data pointed to easing inflation. Non-farm payrolls, or NFP, data due at 1230 GMT will be the next focus for further clues about the U.S. economy's strength.

Persons: Tim Waterer, it's, Kelvin Wong Organizations: Aurum, KCM, of England, European Central Bank Locations: Asia Pacific

☆ All this AI hype could be distracting us from serious economic threats in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Moving forward, we'll be highlighting the latest markets news in our daily flagship newsletter, Insider Today — be sure to sign up. The excitement around ChatGPT, AI, and related tech stocks is old news now, but Wall Street can't stop talking about it. Elon Musk, Nouriel Roubini, and a chorus of Wall Street firms have issued dire warnings. The country's slowing trade, weak industrial production numbers, and piling debt all ultimately present problems for Wall Street, which may be catching on to the risk. What do you see as the connection between economic troubles and AI hype?

Persons: Phil Rosen, —, It's, Pepper, Paco Freire, that's, Zahra Tayeb, Elon Musk, Roubini, Kelvin Wong, Angela Weiss, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Gary Black's, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, Jason Ma, Jack Sommers Organizations: Getty, Nvidia, Federal, Street, Wall, Nasdaq, Carnival plc, Harvard, Elon Locations: New York, China, America, Los Angeles, London

☆ Oil ticks up, but set for third week of losses over demand concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices rose slightly in Asian morning trade on Friday, but were set for a third straight week of losses after markets witnessed dramatic drops on fears of a weakening U.S. economy and slowing Chinese demand. For the week, Brent was set to close down 8.5%, while WTI was set to close 10.3% lower. "It has been a double whammy for oil prices," said Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG in Singapore. In China, factory activity unexpectedly contracted in April as orders fell and poor domestic demand dragged on the sprawling manufacturing sector. Service activity in China grew through April, though the rate of this expansion has slowed, data showed on Friday.

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