Aust dollar hits two-month high

Better economic figures out of the US have failed to deter the Australian dollar, which rallied to a two-month high overnight.At 7am (AEDT), the local currency was trading at US78.76c, up from US78.67c on Tuesday.The Australian dollar bounced as high as US79.38c overnight, its highest level since January 28.That was despite strong economic data out of the US, where core inflation ticked up to 1.7 per cent and sales of new homes climbed to...

Gold Advances to Two-Week High on U.S. Interest-Rate Outlook

Gold rose to the highest in two weeks amid speculation that U.S. policy makers will hold off on raising interest rates until later this year. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled last week that the central bank is in no hurry to raise rates after the Fed dropped a pledge to be patient on tightening. Higher borrowing costs cut gold’s allure because the metal generally offers returns only through price gains. The dollar touched...

U.S. Stocks Decline as Dollar Rises With Treasuries; Metals Gain

U.S. stocks dropped while the dollar strengthened as data on consumer prices showed signs inflation is perking up. Treasuries advanced after the sale of two-year notes was characterized as good by firms obligated to bid. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 0.6 percent at 4 p.m. in New York, its 25th day without consecutive gains, the longest stretch since 2001. The Nasdaq Composite Index erased earlier gains to finish lower by 0.3...

Banks Push European Stocks Higher With Stoxx 600 Nearing Record

Lenders led a rally in European stocks, sending the Stoxx Europe 600 Index near a record.Spain’s Banco Santander SA and Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo SpA climbed more than 1.5 percent, while France’s Societe Generale SA added 2.5 percent. Deutsche Lufthansa AG lost 1.6 percent as Germanwings, its low-cost subsidiary, operated a plane that crashed in southern France.The Stoxx 600 advanced 0.3 percent to 402.49 at the close of trading in London,...

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate, Dollar Rises With Treasuries; Metals Gain

U.S. stocks fluctuated, the dollar advanced and Treasuries rose as investors assessed the outlook for higher interest rates after consumer prices fell short of the Federal Reserve’s inflation target. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 0.1 percent at 12:42 p.m. in New York. The Nasdaq Composite Index approached an all-time high as Netflix Inc. and Google Inc. paced gains...