Oil Steadies After Refinery Data Spurs Biggest Gain in 8 Weeks

Oil steadied after its biggest rally in eight weeks in New York as the focus shifted from rising U.S. refinery demand to the prospects for a U.S. interest rate gain this year. Futures edged 0.3 percent higher after surging 6.3 percent yesterday. U.S. refiners boosted operating rates last week, according to an Energy Information Administration report Wednesday.  Odds the Federal Reserve will move on rates at their next meeting jumped...

Gold Ends at 3-week Low as Bets for December Rate Hike Grow

Gold prices finished Thursday at their lowest levels in three weeks, a day after the Federal Open Market Committee left the door open to hiking interest rates at its December meeting. Gold for December delivery dropped $28.80, or 2.5%, to settle at $1,147.30 an ounce on Comex. That was the lowest settlement since Oct. 8. Prices had settled at a one-week high on Wednesday, but then turned lower in electronic trading after the Fed statement...

Japan Consumer Prices Fall 0.1% Before BOJ Policy Decision

The Bank of Japan’s main inflation gauge dropped for a second consecutive month as the effects of low oil prices continue to take a toll, keeping Governor Haruhiko Kuroda distant from his 2 percent inflation target. Consumer prices excluding fresh food declined 0.1 percent in September from a year earlier, after falling in August for the first time since April 2013, according to the statistics bureau. The median estimate of economists...

Rally in U.S. Shares Stalls Amid Earnings, Odds for Higher Rates

A rally in U.S. shares stalled Thursday, after equities reached a two-month high, as investors weighed corporate earnings and prospects for higher interest rates this year. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was little changed at 2,089.40 at 4 p.m. in New York, near the highest level since Aug. 18, after briefly erasing losses in the final half hour. The gauge is up 8.8 percent in October, poised for its best month in four years, boosted...

European Stocks Are Little Changed Amid Earnings as Miners Slide

European stocks fluctuated before closing little changed as investors parsed mixed earnings reports, with miners sliding as the increased possibility of a Federal Reserve interest rate rise in December weighed on commodity prices. Deutsche Bank AG and Barclays Plc fell more than 6 percent as earnings disappointed. A gauge tracking resource-related stocks including BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group slipped the most on the Stoxx Europe...

EUR/USD Quickly Approaches 1.0900 as Fed Leaves Door Open to 2015 Rate Hike

EUR/USD crumbled to fresh 2-month lows, breaking below several support levels and quickly approaching 1.0900 as the Fed decided to leave policy unchanged but left the door open for a rate hike in December. The Fed said it will determine if it is appropriate to raise rates “at its next meeting” after assessing progress toward its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. The Fed also removed from the statement comments...

Gold Settles at 1-week High, then Falls after Fed News

Gold futures climbed Wednesday to settle at their highest level in about a week, then turned lower in electronic trading after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but kept the door open for a rate hike at its next meeting. Shortly after the price settlement for gold, the Fed’s policy-setting committee said it decided to keep interest rates close to zero, but also indicated in its statement that it would focus on its “next...

U.S. Equities Climb After Fed Amid Rally in Banks, Energy Shares

U.S. stocks soared, after erasing earlier gains following the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting statement, as banks and energy companies led a rally. Equities had advanced into the afternoon Fed statement, boosted by Apple Inc. following its better-than-expected results and by energy shares as oil surged the most in eight weeks. A signal that policy makers are still considering...

European Stocks Rise With Energy Shares Before Fed Rate Decision

European stocks rose, buoyed by a rebound in energy companies, as investors awaited the outcome of a Federal Reserve meeting for indications of the trajectory of U.S. borrowing costs. BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc added 1.5 percent or more as oil rose from a two-month low after industry data showed declines in U.S. fuel inventories and crude stockpiles at the nation’s biggest storage hub. Saipem SpA rallied 11 percent after Eni SpA...

PBOC Done Cutting Benchmark Rates, According to Economist Survey

China’s central bank will refrain from further benchmark interest-rate cuts and economic growth will hold steady in the fourth quarter, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Growth in the final three months will be 6.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the median of analysts estimates in an Oct. 19-27 survey. That’s more optimistic than the 6.8 percent...

Oil Ends 1.8% Lower on Planned Sale of U.S. Reserves

Oil futures settled at a two-month low Tuesday after the U.S. government announced plans to sell millions of barrels of oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as traders bet on a further weekly increase in crude supplies. December West Texas Intermediate crude fell 78 cents, or 1.8%, to settle at $43.20 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was the lowest settlement since Aug. 27. December Brent crude on London’s ICE...

Gold Little Changed as Traders Await Fed Decision on U.S. Rates

Gold traders are waiting on the sidelines ahead of a meeting of U.S. policy makers that could give clues on when interest rates will rise. Futures closed little change in New York, and aggregate trading was 35 percent below the 100-day average, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. On Monday, about 93,000 contracts changed hands, the lowest in three weeks. Federal Reserve officials start a two-day meeting on Tuesday. Investors ...

U.S. Stocks Decline Before Fed Amid Earnings Reports, Economic Data

U.S. stocks declined amid mixed earnings reports and data that renewed concern on the strength of the global economy as the Federal Reserve began a two-day monetary policy meeting. A rally in equities has tapped the brakes as investors await the latest from the Fed. Policy makers kept interest rates near zero last month, opting to hold off for a better read on the impact of weaker growth in China and lackluster inflation. Central bankers...

Europe Stocks Fall for a Second Day as Earnings Miss, Oil Drops

European stocks fell for a second day as some disappointing earnings reports cast doubt on the strength of the euro-area economic recovery, amid weak commodity and oil prices. Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc slid at least 1.9 percent, contributing the most to a drop in energy stocks. Novartis AG pulled health-care shares down, falling 1.6 percent after reporting profit that missed estimates and agreeing to pay $390 million to settle...

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate Before Fed Amid Earnings, Economic Data

U.S. stocks fluctuated amid mixed earnings reports and data that renewed concern on the strength of the global economy as the Federal Reserve begins a two-day monetary policy meeting. A rally in equities has tapped the brakes as investors await the latest from the Fed. Policy makers kept interest rates near zero last month, opting to hold off for a better read on the impact of weaker growth in China and lackluster inflation. Central...

Oil ends at 2-month low dogged by demand worries

Oil prices ended in the red on Monday with lingering concerns over a global supply glut and weakening demand pushing prices to their lowest settlement in roughly two months. Natural-gas prices meanwhile, dropped for a fourth trading day in a row, losing nearly 10% for the session to hold ground at their lowest level since 2012. December West Texas Intermediate crude fell by 62 cents, or 1.4%, to settle at $43.98 a barrel on the New...

Gold Gains for First Time in Four Sessions as Dollar Weakens

Gold snapped the longest slump in three weeks as the dollar weakened, boosting the appeal of the metal as an alternative investment. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell, ending the longest rally since January, as traders awaited the Federal Reserve’s decision on whether to raise interest rates for the first time in almost a decade. Policy makers meet this week, and traders put the odds of a rate rise by December at 36 percent. Higher...

Asia Stocks Slip From Two-Month High as Investors Await Fed, BOJ

Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index retreating from its highest in two months, as energy shares led losses and investors awaited policy decisions by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan later in the week. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 0.1 percent to 136.31 as of 9:02 a.m. in Tokyo after closing Monday at the highest since Aug. 18. The decisions on monetary policy come after China cut its lending rate last week...

Japanese Stocks Fluctuate Ahead of Fed, BOJ Meetings, Earnings

Japanese stocks swung between gains and losses as investors awaited a rush of company earnings and policy updates from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan later this week. Steelmakers fell and retailers led gains. The Topix index slipped 0.1 percent to 1,558.01 as of 9:04 a.m. in Tokyo, swinging from a gain of less than 0.1 percent. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was little changed at 18,940.20. The yen traded at 120.93 per dollar,...

U.S. Shares Slip Before Batch of Earnings, Fed Policy Meeting

A rally in U.S. shares stalled Monday, as investors assessed recent gains before the latest batch of earnings and a Federal Reserve meeting, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slipping from a nine-week high. Technology and energy, two industries that have driven much of the benchmark’s gains as it heads toward its best month in four years, retreated today. Apple Inc. lost 3.2 percent to weigh on tech, as supplier Dialog Semiconductor...

Oil Holds Losses Near 4-Week Low as Drop in U.S. Drilling Slows

Oil held losses near the lowest level in almost four weeks as the pace of U.S. drill rig reductions slowed in the world’s biggest crude consumer. Futures were little changed in New York after dropping 1.7 percent on Friday. The number of active machines targeting oil declined by 1 to 594, according to data from Baker Hughes Inc. Oil prices may climb to $60 a barrel by the end of next year, Ali Al Mansoori, the chairman of Abu Dhabi’s...

Gold Holds Decline as U.S. Rate Bets Weighed With Global Growth

Gold held declines after a three-day drop as investors weighed the prospect for higher U.S. borrowing costs against a dimming global economic outlook before a Federal Reserve meeting this week. Bullion for immediate delivery fell as much as 0.2 percent to $1,162.25 an ounce and was at $1,163.10 at 8:44 a.m. in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal sank to $1,159.05 on Friday, the lowest price since Oct. 13, as...

Asian Stocks Extend Two-Month High as China Cuts Interest Rates

Asian stocks rose after China’s central bank cut its benchmark lending rate, stepping up efforts to cushion a deepening economic slowdown. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained 0.3 percent to 136.15 as of 9 a.m. in Tokyo after closing Friday at the highest since Aug. 19. The gauge climbed 9.7 percent this month through the end of last week as investors pushed back expectations for...

Japanese Stocks Rise After China Rate Cut, Ahead of BOJ Meeting

Japanese stocks rose after China cut interest rates on Friday and amid speculation the Bank of Japan will also boost stimulus this week. The Topix index added 1.2 percent to 1,566.27 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo, building on last week’s gains of 2.8 percent. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed 1.1 percent to 19,024.59, rising above 19,000 for the first time in two months. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index erased its loss for the year...

Euro Drops as Draghi Gives Investors the QE Hints They Wanted

The euro tumbled to a two-month low after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi gave a crowd-pleasing performance at his policy address in Malta, leaving investors in little doubt he’s ready to deploy more monetary stimulus to boost the flagging economy. The shared currency fell versus all of its 16 major counterparts after Draghi said officials will reexamine the scope of their quantitative-easing plan in December. The bond...

Crude Oil Gains for 2nd Time in Nine Days as Gasoline Advances

Oil rose for the second time in nine days after trading below $45 a barrel for a second day. Gasoline gained more than crude, widening refinery profit margins. West Texas Intermediate futures erased earlier gains as the dollar strengthened before rallying to settle with an 18-cent gain. The gasoline crack spread, a measure of the profit from processing a barrel of oil into the fuel, advanced to above $9 a barrel after sinking to $6.54...

Asian Stocks Set to Track Draghi Surge While Nasdaq Futures Jump

The October stock rally is back, thanks to some handy comments on stimulus from Mario Draghi and better-than-expected earnings from Google Inc. and Amazon. com Inc. Asian index futures signaled gains from Japan to Hong Kong, and Australian equities jumped Friday after Draghi said the European Central Bank will consider bolstering its bond-buying program before the end of 2015, sparking a surge in European and U.S. stocks. Nasdaq 100...

Bad Memories Fading in S&P 500 After 10% Rally From August Low

Two months after the first correction since 2011 broke a yearlong calm in U.S. equities, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is jumping again, climbing as much as 1.8 percent Thursday to bring its gain from its lowest close in August to 10 percent. The benchmark gauge for American equities now sits at a level last seen on Aug. 19 and is fewer than 7 points below its Dec. 31, 2014 closing price, making its performance year-to-date just...

U.S. Stocks Rally Amid Corporate Earnings, Stimulus Speculation

U.S. stocks rallied, heading toward their first gain in three days after a batch of better-than-estimated earnings from companies including McDonald’s Corp. and EBay Inc. boosted optimism on the health of corporate America. Equities got a further lift from prospects Europe will move to bolster its economy. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said today policy makers will investigate fresh stimulus measures to thwart downside...

Dollar retreats from 9-day high vs. yen as investors look to ECB

The dollar moved lower Wednesday ahead of a hotly anticipated meeting of European Central Bank policy makers after hitting a nine-day high against the Japanese yen early in the session. The buck traded at ¥119.91 late Wednesday in New York, little changed from its late-Tuesday level. Early in Wednesday’s session, the dollar traded as high as ¥120.10, its highest level since Oct. 12. The euro traded at $1.1342 late Wednesday, little-changed...

Crude Oil Declines as U.S. Inventories Grow Most in Six Months

Oil slid after a government report showed U.S. crude inventories grew by the most in six months. West Texas Intermediate futures for December delivery ended at the lowest settlement in almost three weeks. Inventories expanded in the world’s biggest oil consumer by 8.03 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said. A Bloomberg survey forecast a gain of 3.75 million. Refineries processed more crude for the first...

Asian Futures Tip Return to Losses With Oil Near Three-Week Low

Most Asian index futures signaled a return to losses for the region’s stocks, with crude oil near an almost three-week low amid concerns over a global glut and after drugmakers drove declines in U.S. equities. Futures on stock gauges from Japan to South Korea dropped after speculation over the outlook for Japanese stimulus fueled gains in the regional benchmark on Wednesday. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures rose after a short-seller...

Saham AS Turun pada Valeant seiring Minyak dan Emas Pimpin Gejolak di SDA

Sebuah short-seller yang diambil dari Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc menggolakan sektor kesehatan, mengirim saham AS untuk kerugian hari kedua di tengah bervariasinya hasil perusahaan. Tanda-tanda pemulihan dari perlambatan pertumbuhan global membantu mendorong minyak ke level terendah dalam tiga minggu. Indeks Standard & Poor 500 mengakhiri sesi volatile mereka dengan penurunan terbesar dalam seminggu. Valeant menetapkan...

S&P 500 Fluctuates Amid Mixed Earnings Results, Biotechs Decline

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fluctuated amid mixed corporate earnings results, and as a plunge in Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. sparked a second day of selling in biotechnology shares. Valeant dropped 27 percent after a critical research report. General Motors Co. climbed 6.3 percent after posting a better-than-estimated profit. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and EMC Corp lost more than 5 percent after their profits...

Dollar Near Three-Month Low as Fed Rate Increase View Recedes

The dollar stayed near its lowest in more than three months as a slew of weak data further scaled back market expectations for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year. The greenback fell to its weakest in seven weeks versus the euro on Wednesday and declined for a third day against the yen as disappointing economic reports, including U.S. retail sales and Chinese inflation, highlighted the risks to global growth that kept...

Emas Menguat ke 3 Bulan Tertinggi Karena Inflasi Ebb Picu Spekulasi The Fed

Emas menguat ke level tertinggi dalam lebih dari tiga bulan sebagai tanda-tanda lebih lanjut dari meredanya inflasi global melemahkan kasus bagi Federal Reserve untuk menaikkan suku bunga AS. Data inflasi konsumen China moderat, dan harga produsen memperpanjang rekor penurunan, menurut data pemerintah hari ini. Di AS, harga grosir meluncur pada bulan September yang terbesar sejak awal tahun ini, sementara penjualan ritel naik...

Australian Jobs Unexpectedly Fall in September, Aussie Drops

Australian employers unexpectedly cut jobs in September, signaling record-low interest rates are yet to put the economy on a sustainable footing and offset a slump in mining investment. Employment fell 5,100 from August compared with a median forecast of a 9,600 increase. The jobless rate held at 6.2 percent, matching the median forecast. Full-time jobs fell 13,900; part-time employment rose by 8,900 The participation rate, a measure...

Most Asian Stocks Fall as Stronger Yen Weighs on Japanese Shares

Most Asian stocks dropped, tracking declines in U.S. shares, as a stronger yen dragged down Japanese equities. About two shares fell for each that rose on the dollar-denominated MSCI Asia Pacific Index, which added 0.2 percent to 131.73 as of 9:03 a.m. in Tokyo. Japan’s Topix index slid 0.5 percent after the yen gained 0.8 percent against the dollar on Wednesday as traders pared back bets on a U.S. interest-rate increase this year. The...

Japanese Stocks Fall for Third Day as Yen Rises Against Dollar

Japanese stocks fell for a third day after the dollar continued to tumble against the yen yen as investors became more certain the Federal Reserve will hold off on raising U.S. interest rates. Electrical appliance makers and shippers led losses. The Topix index dropped 0.4 percent to 1,465.28 as of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo, with three shares falling for every two that rose. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined 0.6 percent to 17,783.02. The...