Stocks recovered from lows reached earlier on Thursday, with investors buying the dip once again in spite of a dour wholesale inflation report. The late-day gains mean the S&P 500 notched its third straight record close, by the slimmest of margins, settling up 0.03% at 6,468.54. The Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average were marginally lower, with the tech heavy index ending the day down 0.01% at 21,710.67, and the 30-stock Dow losing 11.01 points, or 0.02%, to close at 44,911.26. The S&P and Nasdaq were both down 0.4% at their lows before bouncing back. The Dow shed...
Gold prices edged higher during the North American session as traders braced for the release of the latest Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) figures in the United States (US), which could be crucial for the direction of interest rates set by the Federal Reserve (Fed). At the time of writing, XAU/USD was trading at $3,348, up 0.29%. The latest jobs report, as revealed by ADP, showed that companies are cutting hiring instead of laying off people as they adjust to the current economic environment. News that Microsoft is cutting 9,000 jobs painted a gloomy outlook for the labor market. On Thursday, the...
Gold prices held steady on Wednesday as investors adjusted positions ahead of US nonfarm payrolls data, seeking more clarity on the timing of the Federal Reserve's next interest rate cut. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $3,341.92 an ounce, as of 11:49 a.m. EDT (15:49 GMT), while US gold futures were up 0.1% at $3,352.50. "We're seeing a lull here with the holiday-shortened week, and we're going to get the unemployment report on Thursday. So there's kind of a positioning, with people just waiting to see what that report shows," said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals. Earlier today, the...
The US Dollar (USD) is trading with a slightly positive tone on Wednesday, bouncing back a bit after hitting the lowest level since February 2022 on Tuesday. The modest rebound comes as traders digest US economic data and cautious comments from Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell, which have slightly eased the downward pressure on the Greenback. Still, concerns over tariffs, fiscal policy and the Fed's next move continue to weigh on the USD broader outlook. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Greenback's performance against a basket of six major currencies, is moving...
Gold (XAU/USD) price is attempting to extend its recovery as traders digest Wednesday's Automatic Data Processing (ADP) employment report. With XAU/USD hovering near $3,350 at the time of writing, US President Trump's tax bill and interest rate expectations continue to drive demand for bullion. The ADP Employment Change report for June showed that the private sector contracted in June. Analysts had expected the June report to show that 95,000 jobs were added to the US private sector in May. Instead, a negative reading of 33K reflects potential weakness in the US labour market. As a...
Oil prices rose Wednesday after Iran suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, lifting geopolitical tensions in the region. At 07:50 ET (11:50 GMT), Brent oil futures for September rose 1.2% to $67.94 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 1.3% to $66.30 a barrel. Iran suspends cooperation with UN Iran put into effect a law on Wednesday that stipulates that any future inspection of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council. This decision comes amid growing tensions between Tehran...