Gold Holds Decline as Rising Dollar, Record Stocks Curb Demand

Gold held the biggest drop in two weeks as the dollar traded at a decade-high and U.S. equities advanced to records, cutting demand for a protection of wealth. Palladium retreated from the highest level since September. Bullion for immediate delivery was at $1,208.05 an ounce at 8:28 a.m. in Singapore from $1,206.83 on Monday, when the price lost 0.5 percent, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal is 2 percent higher this...

Oil Trades Below $50 as U.S. Crude Stockpiles Seen Swelling Glut

Oil traded below $50 a barrel before U.S. government data forecast to show crude inventories increased further from a record level.Futures were 0.5 percent higher in New York. Stockpiles probably expanded by 3.95 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey before an Energy Information Administration report on Wednesday. They climbed over the prior seven weeks to 434.1 million, the most in records compiled by the EIA...

Asian Stocks Follow U.S. Shares Higher on Consumer Spending, Yen

Asian stocks rose after U.S. equities climbed to records as rising consumer spending signaled strength in the world’s largest economy. Japanese shares gained after the yen weakened.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index advanced 0.1 percent to 146.31 as of 9:02 a.m. in Tokyo. The Topix index added 0.4 percent. Both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied to all-time highs as data showed U.S. consumer purchases...

Japan Stocks Rise as Weaker Yen, U.S. Spending Boost Exporters

Japanese stocks rose for a fourth day as the yen fell and U.S. consumer spending increased, boosting the outlook for exporters to the world’s biggest economy. The Topix index added 0.4 percent to 1,530.89 as of 9:01 in Tokyo, after closing yesterday at the highest level since December 2007. All but five of its 33 industry groups rose. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average advanced 0.4 percent to 18,896.58, extending a 15-year high. The yen fell...

Nasdaq Composite Rallies, Tops 5,000 for First Time in 15 Years

The Nasdaq Composite Index closed above 5,000 for the first time in 15 years while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index reached records as gains in consumer purchases signaled strength in the biggest part of the economy. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.9 percent to 5,008.10 at 4 p.m. in New York. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6 percent to a record 2,117.18,...