Gold clouded by US stimulus doubts; short-covering cushions losses

SINGAPORE, Reuters (09/12) - Gold eased on Monday as markets continued to fret over when the United States would begin tapering its economic stimulus and as stronger equities dented the metal's safe-haven appeal, but short-covering by investors offered some support.

Spot gold had fallen 0.2 percent to $1,227.24 an ounce by 0020 GMT. The metal traded in a wide range on Friday, dropping sharply to five-month lows after strong U.S. jobs data but ending the day higher on short-covering. U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in November and the jobless rate hit a five-year low of 7.0 percent, raising chances the Federal Reserve could start ratcheting back its bond-buying stimulus as soon as this month. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, who has been one of the most ardent supporters of the U.S. central bank's stimulus programme, said he was open to curtailing the purchases this month, although he would prefer to wait. SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 3 tonnes to 835.71 tonnes on Friday. Hedge funds and money managers raised their bearish bets in U.S. gold futures and options close to a 7-1/2 year high in the week to Dec. 3, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed. Speculators turned silver into a net short position for the first time since late June. Indian gold imports may fall 70 percent in the final quarter of 2013 from 255 tonnes in the year-ago period and are expected to be half usual levels at 500-550 tonnes next year if new import rules are maintained, a top trade body official said.

 

Emas Berjangka Turun Seiring Daftar Gaji AS Naik Picu Kekhwatiran Stimulus

Bloomberg (07/12) – Emas jatuh ke level lima bulan terendahnya pasca As mengalami kenaikan pada jumlah tenaga kerja yang melebihi dari perkiraan pada bulan lalu, memicu kekhwatiran bahwa Federal Reserve akan memulai pemangkasan stimulus.

Daftar gaji naik sebesar 203,000 di bulan November, melebihi sebesar 185,000 dari perkiraan rata-rata pada survei Bloomberg, menurut Departemen Tenaga Kerja AS. Harga berayun diantara gain dan loss pasca rilis laporan, turun sebesar 1.8% ke level $1,210.10 per ounce, level terendah sejak tanggal 5 Juli lalu, sebelum naik hampir sebesar $35 selama 30 menit. Logam telah mengalami penurunan sebesar 27% pada tahun ini terkait Federal Reserve akan memangkas pembelian obligasi bulanannya sebesar $85 miliar. Emas berjangka untuk pengiriman bulan Februari tergelincir sebesar 0.2% ke level penyelesaian sebesar $1,229 pada pukul 1:44 siang pada Comex di New York. Logam jatuh sebesar 1.7% pada pekan ini. Emas Bullion menuju penurunan tahunan pertama kalinya  dalam 13 tahun terakhir sejalan dengan beberapa investor kehilangan kepercayaan pada logam sebagai tempat lindung nilai. Ekonomi AS tumbuh melebihi dari estimasi awal pada kuartal ketiga, menurut rilis data pemerintah kemarin. Hasil pertemuan Federal Reserve yang dirilis pada tanggal 20 November menunjukkan bahwa para pembuat kebijakan memperkirakan membaiknya ekonomi AS mengakibatkan pembelian utang akan dipangkas dalam bulan-bulan yang akan datang. (bgs)

Gold Futures Fall as U.S. Payrolls Gain Fuels Stimulus Concern

Bloomberg (07/12) -- Gold fell to a five-month low after the U.S. added more workers than forecast last month, fueling concern that the Federal Reserve will start to curb stimulus.

Payrolls climbed 203,000 in November, exceeding the 185,000 median forecast in a Bloomberg survey, the Labor Department said. Prices swung between gains and losses after the report, falling as much as 1.8 percent to $1,210.10 an ounce, the lowest since July 5, before jumping almost $35 in about 30 minutes. The metal dropped 27 percent this year on concern the Fed will cut its $85 billion in monthly bond buying. Gold futures for February delivery slid 0.2 percent to settle at $1,229 at 1:44 p.m. on the Comex in New York. The metal fell 1.7 percent this week. Bullion is set for the first annual drop in 13 years as some investors lost faith in the metal as a store of value. The U.S. economy grew more than initially estimated in the third quarter, government figures showed yesterday. Minutes of the Fed’s October meeting released Nov. 20 showed policy makers expected an improving economy to allow debt purchases to be trimmed in coming months.

Saham A.S Menghentikan Penurunan 5 Harinya Setelah Data Perkerjaan Bulan November

Bloomberg (07/12) - Saham AS naik, menghentikan penurunan selama lima hari untuk indeks Standard & Poor 500, seiring para investor menimbang lebih baik dari perkiraan pertumbuhan pekerjaan untuk mengukur kekuatan ekonomi dan waktu pemotongan stimulus oleh Federal Reserve.

Indeks S&P 500 naik 1,1 persen menjadi 1,804.92 pada pukul 4 sore di New York. Penguatan indeks dipangkas penurunan indeks pada minggu ini kurang dari 0,1 persen setelah itu turun masing-masing pada empat sesi terakhir. Tingkat pengangguran AS turun menjadi 7 persen, yang menunjukkan kemajuan dalam pasar tenaga kerja yang akan membantu memberikan percikan bagi perekonomian AS. Indeks S&P 500 telah jatuh selama lima hari berturut-turut, penurunan terpanjang sejak bulan September, seiring membaiknya data ekonomi memicu kekhawatiran Federal Reserve akan mengurangi dalam pembelian obligasi bulanannya US$ 85 miliar dimaksudkan untuk menekan suku bunga dan mendorong pertumbuhan. Indeks acuan saham US pilihan harga turun hari ini setelah delapan hari keuntungan beruntun. Sebanyak 203.000 Kenaikan gaji mengikuti revisi 200.000 menguat pada bulan Oktober, angka dari Departemen Tenaga Kerja menunjukkan hari ini. Perkiraan median dari 89 ekonom yang disurvei oleh Bloomberg menyerukan kenaikan sebesar 185.000. Sebuah laporan pada 4 Desember dari ADP Research Institute menunjukkan perusahaan didorong gaji pada bulan November oleh yang paling tinggi dalam setahun terakhir. (izr)

U.S. Stocks Snap Five-Day Drop After November Jobs Data

Bloomberg (07/12) -- U.S. stocks rose, halting a five-day slide for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, as investors weighed better-than-forecast jobs growth to gauge the strength of the economy and timing of Federal Reserve stimulus cuts.

The S&P 500 gained 1.1 percent to 1,804.92 at 4 p.m. in New York. The advance trimmed the index’s drop this week to less than 0.1 percent after it had retreated each of the past four sessions. The U.S. jobless rate fell to 7 percent, showing progress in the labor market that will help provide a spark for the U.S. economy. The S&P 500 had fallen for five straight days, its longest slump since September, as improving economic data fueled concern the Federal Reserve will reduce its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases meant to suppress interest rates and bolster growth. The benchmark gauge of U.S. options prices retreated today after eight straight gains, matching a record streak. The 203,000 increase in payrolls followed a revised 200,000 advance in October, Labor Department figures showed today. The median forecast of 89 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 185,000 advance. A report Dec. 4 from the ADP Research Institute indicated companies boosted payrolls in November by the most in a year.