Dollar Falls as Weak Economic Data Erode Bets on Fed Rate Hike

The dollar fell as tepid economic reports damped demand for the currency after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting left bulls with little to cheer. The U.S. currency snapped three days of gains versus the euro after housing and jobs data missed forecasts. The greenback weakened versus most of its major peers as traders digested minutes released Wednesday that...

Gold Futures Fell to One-Week Low as U.S. Jobless Claims Decline

Gold futures fell to a one-week low after the average number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks dropped to a 15-year low, reviving concern that interest rates will increase. The average dropped to 266,250 in the period ended May 16 from 271,750, government figures showed Thursday. On Wednesday, holdings in exchange-traded products backed by gold dropped to the lowest since January, according to data...

U.S. Stocks Rise to Records Amid Mixed Data on Economic Growth

U.S. stocks advanced, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rising to a record, amid better-than-forecast results from Salesforce.com Inc. and Best Buy Co. while gauges on the strength of economic growth were mixed. The S&P 500 rose 0.2 percent to 2,131.03 at 4 p.m. in New York, its fourth all-time high in the last six sessions. As Federal Reserve policy makers debate the timing on their first interest rate increase since 2006,...

U.S. Stocks, Treasuries Rise as Data Show Uneven Economic Growth

U.S. stocks rose to record levels and Treasuries gained a second day as economic data showing uneven growth added to speculation the Federal Reserve won’t rush to raise interest rates. Crude oil rallied. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.3 percent to a record at 12:36 a.m. in New York. The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 0.4 percent to an all-time closing high. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell four basis points to...