Pound Jumps as Election Exit Poll Shows Tories May Retain Power

The pound jumped as an official exit poll showed that the Conservative Party will get the most seats in the U.K.’s general election, reducing the prospect of protracted negotiations over the formation of the next government.Sterling strengthened at least 0.9 percent versus all of its 16 major counterparts as the survey of voters indicated Tory leader David Cameron is set to lead the largest party, just short of a majority, in a hung Parliament....

Gold Erases 2015 Gain as Jobless Claims Boost U.S. Rate Concerns

Gold futures fell, erasing this year’s gain, on speculation that an improving U.S. labor market will boost the case for the Federal Reserve to raise U.S. interest rates. Fewer Americans than forecast  filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, dropping the average in the past month to the lowest in 15 years, government data shosed on Thursday. An expanding economy...

Japan Stocks Rebound From One-Month Low Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data

Japanese stocks rose, rebounding from a one-month low, after U.S. equities advanced ahead of a monthly employment report. The Topix index climbed 0.2 percent to 1,577.60 as of 9:02 a.m. in Tokyo, headed for a loss of 0.5 percent in a shortened week due to holidays. Two stocks rose for each that fell. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average added 0.2 percent to 19,331.63. The yen traded at 119.73 per dollar after weakening Thursday for the first...

Asian Stocks Fall Before U.S. Jobs as Energy Shares Lead Decline

Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index heading for a two-week decline, as investors awaited U.S. labor data. Energy companies led losses. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.2 percent to 150.14 as of 9:07 a.m. in Tokyo, with all 10 industry groups retreating. The measure is poised for a 1.8 percent slide this week. Japan’s Topix index added 0.1 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.2 percent, while New Zealand’s...

U.S. Equities Advance Amid Tech Shares Rally Before Jobs Data

U.S. stocks advanced, after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell to its lowest in a month, as Yahoo! Inc. led a rebound in technology shares before Friday’s labor report. The S&P 500 added 0.4 percent to 2,088.04 at 4 p.m. in New York, near its average price during the past 50 days. The government will release April jobs data Friday before U.S. markets open. U.S. stocks fell yesterday, dragged lower after Federal Reserve Chair...