Oil Futures Settle at a Nearly Three Week High

Oil futures settled at their highest level in almost three weeks on Monday, buoyed by expectations for output declines and signs of stronger demand for crude. Prices also got a boost after a U.S. government report showed that domestic shale-oil production was forecast to fall by 114,000 barrels a day next month. May WTI crude rose 64 cents, or 1.6%, to settle at $40.36 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was the highest...

Gold Advances to Highest in Three Weeks on Dollar, Rate Outlook

Gold futures rose to the highest in almost three weeks on declines in the dollar and speculation that the Federal Reserve will be slow to boost interest rates. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell to the lowest since June. Traders are pricing the odds of a rate increase by December at 48 percent, down from 58 percent a week ago. Last week, minutes of last month’s Fed meeting showed several central bank officials supported a...

Hong Kong shares edge up, supported by China policy view (Riview)

Hong Kong stocks edged up on Monday, aided by a bullish mainland market after China's March inflation came in lower than forecast and fanned optimism Beijing will keep monetary policy loose. The Hang Seng index rose 0.4 percent, to 20,440.81, while the China Enterprises Index gained 1.2 percent, to 8,807.06 points. China's annual March consumer price figure came out surprisingly unchanged from the previous month at 2.3 percent,...

U.S. Stocks Drop Before Alcoa Results as Dollar Falls, Oil Gains

U.S. stocks fell, erasing gains as an advance in global equities faltered before the start of what is forecast to be the worst American earnings season since the financial crisis. The dollar tumbled to a nine-month low, boosting commodity prices. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed as much as 0.7 percent before turning negative in the final half hour of trading. Alcoa Inc. starts the reporting season after markets close, with...

U.S. Stocks Fluctuate Before Alcoa Kicks Off Earnings Season

U.S. stocks fluctuated, with investors bracing for the start of what’s forecast to be the biggest earnings slump since the financial crisis. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.2 percent to 2,052.30 at 12:08 p.m. in New York, trimming an advance of as much as 0.8 percent. The benchmark gauge posted a 1.2 percent decline last week, the steepest drop in two months. Signs of a pick-up in Chinese industrial demand fueled gains in...