Gold at 2-week high on weaker dollar, rate expectations

Gold firmed for the fourth straight session on Monday to its highest in more than two weeks, as the dollar extended losses and expectations rose that the Federal Reserve will hold off until at least September to raise interest rates.Gold had dipped to a four-month low before the Fed met last week as concerns mounted over higher U.S. interest rates, which could dent demand for non-interest-bearing...

Dollar Drops as Fischer Says Rate-Increase Path Won’t Be Smooth

The dollar extended the biggest weekly decline in three years after Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said there won’t be a “smooth upward path” for interest rates even as the first increase may be warranted before the end of 2015. The greenback dropped against all of its 16 major peers as Fischer, in remarks at the Economic Club of New York, said subsequent rate increases will be subject to economic and geopolitical events....

Japan Stocks Fall First Time in Three Days on U.S. Rate Outlook

Japanese stocks fell for the first time in three days as the yen held two days of gains amid speculation the Federal Reserve won’t hurry to raise interest rates. The Topix index declined 0.3 percent to 1,587.30 as of 9:02 a.m. in Tokyo, after closing yesterday at a seven-year high. More than two stocks fell for each that rose. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 0.2 percent to 19,702.42. The yen traded at 119.75 per dollar after Federal...

U.S. Stocks Slip as Transports Decline Offsets Consumer Gains

U.S. stocks retreated after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed within four points of a record, as a drop in transportation companies offset gains in consumer shares. The Dow Jones Transportation Average dropped after railroad Kansas City Southern cut its outlook. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index fell 2.2 percent after setting a record Friday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2 percent to 2,104.44 at 4 p.m. in New York. The Nasdaq Composite...

Europe Stocks Drop After Nearing Record With Seventh Weekly Gain

European stocks declined, after a seventh weekly gain pushed equities near an all-time high.The Stoxx Europe 600 Index slid 0.7 percent to 401.24 at the close of trading, paring earlier losses of as much as 1 percent. The equity gauge ended Friday within 0.4 percent of its March 2000 record close, having surpassed the forecasts of 12 strategists surveyed by Bloomberg in January. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index, which climbed above 7,000 for the...