Dollar Rises to 3-Week High as Fed Rate Increase Remains in Play

The dollar rose to a three-week high after minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting suggested the first interest-rate increase since 2006 is still on the table for this year. The U.S. currency climbed versus all of its major peers as the U.S. central bank outlook contrasted with stimulus in Europe and continuing negotiations between Greece and its creditors. While several Fed officials pushed to raise benchmark rates in...

Gold Fall to Lowest in a Week as Fed Minutes Fuel Rate Concerns

Gold futures fell to a one-week low after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last meeting fueled concern that policy makers are moving closer to raising interest rates. Fed officials were split last month over whether they would boost rates in June, the minutes released on Wednesday showed. Holdings in exchange-traded products backed by gold fell to 1,616.1 metric tons, a three-month low, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The...

U.S. Stocks Advance as Energy Shares’ Rally Offsets Alcoa’s Drop

U.S. stocks rose as energy companies gained amid a rebound in crude, offsetting quarterly results from Alcoa Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. that disappointed investors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.4 percent to 2,091.09 at 4 p.m. in New York, with the index earlier trading around its average price for the past 50 days. The S&P 500 rose Wednesday as minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting, held...

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate as Energy Companies Gain While Alcoa Falls

U.S. stocks fluctuated as energy companies gained amid a rebound in crude, while quarterly results from Alcoa Inc. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. disappointed investors. Alcoa dropped 4.2 percent after quarterly sales missed projections and the biggest U.S. aluminum producer forecast a global supply glut for the metal in 2015. Bed Bath & Beyond declined 5.5 percent, leading retailers down after lower-than-estimated earnings and...

Europe Stocks Climb to Record After German Industrial Production

The biggest three-day jump since January sent European stocks to an all-time high. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced 1.1 percent to 409.15 at the close of trading in London. German industrial production rose in February, the latest of economic data in the euro area beating forecasts. The Stoxx 600 has rallied 19 percent this year as the European Central Bank started a quantitative-easing program. The one from the Federal Reserve helped...