WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday sought a way forward on an immigration deal including protection for “Dreamer” immigrants and border security before federal funding runs out again next month.On Monday, the Republican-led Congress passed a measure signed into law by President Donald Trump to fund the federal government through Feb. 8 following a three-day shutdown. But...Read More
WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to limit debate on the nomination of Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell to lead the central bank, setting the clock ticking toward a final confirming vote in the evening.The Republican-controlled Senate voted 84-12 to move toward a final vote, which it agreed to hold at 5 p.m. (2200 GMT).Powell, 64, was nominated by President Dona...Read More
BERLIN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - German arms exports dropped by nine percent to 6.24 billion euros last year, ARD television reported on Tuesday, following a pledge by the co-governing Social Democrats (SPD) to restrict weapons sales to non-allied countries.Germany is the world's third-biggest arms exporter, but weapons sales remain a domestically sensitive issue given the country's World War Two histor...Read More
CARACAS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Venezuela's "petro" cryptocurrency will initially be offered in a pre-sale in hard currency and other cryptocurrencies, the government said on Tuesday, and not initially available in the country's collapsing bolivar currency.Leftist President Nicolas Maduro is hoping to capitalize on the success of cryptocurrencies by creating one for Venezuela as the bolivar...Read More
• US bond yields halt the bearish slide and exert some pressure. • Global risk-on trade dampens safe-haven appeal. Gold finally broke down of its Asian/European session consolidation phase and refreshed session lows in the last minute. As the NA session got underway, the precious metal surrendered all of its early gains to $1339 area, 4-day tops...Read More
Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) turned in a solid earnings report last week, and the stock has finished higher nine out of the last ten sessions as a result. The financial institution could have even more left in the tank, a sentiment echoed by some financial analysts. After earlier touching a nine-year high of $32.13, BAC stock was last seen trading at $31.94, and the shares may have just flashe...Read More
SAO PAULO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Brazilian toy retailer Ri Happy Brinquedos SA filed on Tuesday for an initial public offering on the Sao Paulo stock exchange, according to documents filed with Brazil's securities regulator. According to the filing, the company will issue new shares and shareholders such as buyout firm Carlyle Group LP , which controls Ri Happy, will also sell shares. The company sai...Read More
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Board nominee Marvin Goodfriend said on Tuesday he felt current policy was “more or less” correct and should allow the central bank to hit its inflation target in a year or so.Goodfriend, peppered by questions from Senate Banking Committee Democrats about his earlier warnings that low interest rates risked a breakout of inflation, said that he now...Read More
David Ljunggren, Anthony EspositoMONTREAL (Reuters) - U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators opened a key week-long round of talks to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday amid persistent concerns the Trump administration is preparing to walk away from the trade deal, a move that could roil financial markets.Time is running out for Canada and Mexico to address U.S. demands for major changes to the North Amer...Read More
BUENOS AIRES, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Argentina posted an $847 million trade deficit in December, government statistics agency Indec said on Tuesday, compared with a deficit of $1.5 billion in November and a surplus of $33 million in December 2016. For full-year 2017, Latin America's No. 3 economy posted an $8.5 billion trade deficit, compared with a $2 billion surplus in 2016. Total imports grew 19.7...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold prices ended the U.S. day session moderately higher Tuesday, as somemid-morning selling pressure was quickly pounced on by bulls looking to buy thebrief dip in prices.Therehas been no fresh, major fundamental news to drive the safe-haven metal higherearly this week. However, the gold charts continue to look bullish, which isinviting technically related buyers. February Comex go...Read More
* Dollar index falls to fresh three-year low* Platinum off highest in more than four months (Recasts; updates prices, adds comment, NEW YORK to dateline)By Renita D. Young and Zandi ShabalalaNEW YORK/LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar fell to fresh three-year lows, but an end to uncertainty created by a three-day U.S. government shutdown capped gains.Spot gol...Read More
By Jemima Kelly and Tommy WilkesLONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - One of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges said on Tuesday it did not fear a regulatory clampdown would squeeze the market, and instead was targeting millions of new customers in Europe with a fresh expansion.Japan-based exchange bitFlyer, which matches buyers and sellers of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is launching a Europ...Read More
MEXICO CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso pared sharp losses on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) were going well.The peso, which had shed as much as 1 percent earlier in the session on concerns over potential U.S. protectionism, traded nearly flat after Trump's comments.A sixth round of talks to overhaul the NAF...Read More
By Jennifer Ablan and Michael ConnorJan 23 (Reuters) - Guggenheim Partners chief investment officer Scott Minerd said Tuesday that extreme optimism about the global economy among political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is a "valuable contra-indicator" for investors and turning him cautious. Minerd, who helps oversee more than $260 billion, said in...Read More
Shares of ResMed Inc. (NYSE:RMD) -- a medical device company specializing in sleep apnea -- are exploding higher today, thanks to well-received fiscal second-quarter earnings and a subsequent round of bullish analyst attention. RMD stock was last seen trading 15.6% higher at $101.67, earlier topping out at a record peak of $104.78 and coming in as the top S&P 500 Index (SPX) performer today. Furth...Read More
The technical picture for U.S. stocks has been rosy thus far in 2018, with the major market indexes assailing new heights at lightning speed. The Dow's ascent north of 26,000 has dominated headlines of late, and even small-cap stocks recently broke out to the upside after underperforming in 2017. But it's the tech sector -- represented by the PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQ) -- outperformance that has...Read More
Jan 24 (Reuters) - Stock MarketsNet ChngStock MarketsNet ChngS&P/ASX 200** 6,037.00 45.10 NZX 50**8,307.63 -27.73DJIA26,197.22-17.38NIKKEI**24,124.15307.82Nasdaq7,447.47539.44 FTSE**7,731.83 16.39S&P 500 2,836.82 3.85Hang Seng** 32,930.7 537.29SPI 200 Fut 5,998.012.0STI** 3,592.08 22.65SSEC**3,546.98 45.62 KOSPI** 2,536.634.49----------------------------------------------------------------...Read More
By Elizabeth DiltsNEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Heavy investor trading in blockchain and cannabis stocks in December helped push TD Ameritrade Holding Corp's quarterly profit higher, the online broker's chief executive said on Tuesday. "Everybody was talking just before Christmas and at holiday parties about, 'Blockchain - what do you think?'" Hockey said in an interview. "That drove...Read More
Retail stocks Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) and Gap Inc (NYSE:GPS) are both off to a strong start in 2018, with the shares recently notching new highs. However, although both stocks have been on a tear lately, near-term options on LULU and GPS are priced at a relative bargain -- and more upside could be in store for the shares, if history repeats. Plus, seasonality is on the side of retai...Read More