U.S. Shares Fall From Near Records; Treasuries Rise, Gold Surges

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U.S. stocks fell from near records, with the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index paring a seventh straight December gain, while Treasuries rose and gold surged. European and emerging equities slipped as energy shares declined.

The S&P 500 slid 0.3 percent at 11:56 p.m. in New York after closing at a record for the 53rd time in 2014. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index lost 0.9 percent to extend a December drop. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 0.4 percent to push its loss this year to near 5 percent. Gold surged 1.8 percent to $1,203.70 an ounce. Russia™s ruble strengthened 5.1 percent, trimming its worst year since 1998. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell three basis points to 2.18 percent.

The S&P 500 has risen 0.8 percent in December, bolstered by the fastest expansion for the American economy in more than a decade. A report showed U.S. consumer confidence increased less than estimated this month. Oil traded near the lowest since 2009 in New York and London amid speculation U.S. crude inventories will stay at the highest for the time of year in at least three decades. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will request elections for Jan. 25, with the anti-austerity party Syriza leading polls.

Source : Bloomberg