Market Pulse - Commodities
Week ahead: G20 summit, US jobs report in focus
All eyes over the coming week will likely be on the result of Saturday's meeting between the Presidents of China and the US on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Osaka, Japan, and what agreements - if any - were reached.
Versarien secures first US oil and gas sector contract
Versarien's shares jumped on Friday after the company secured its first graphene order from a US based company operating in the oil and gas exploration sector.
Bitcoin volatility returns with price falling $1,800 in ten minutes
Bitcoin fell by over $1,800 in price in just a 10 minute time span on Wednesday as the 39% jump in prices seen since the start of the week that sent the crypto-currency as high as $13,852 triggered finally buckled.
US and China agree to trade truce ahead of G20 meeting, says report
The United States and China have agreed to a trade truce ahead of a meeting between the leaders of the two nations at the G20 summit in Osaka this weekend, according to a joint report from Politico and the South China Morning Post on Thursday.
Bayer creates new committee to advise on Roundup litigation
Shares of Bayer perked up after the company announced the creation of a new supervisory board committee to help advise management in the ongoing litigation linked to its glyphosate-based weed-killer Roundup.
European Commission opens antitrust investigation into Broadcom
The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Broadcom in order to assess whether it is restricting competition through exclusivity practices, in breach of EU rules.
Brent jumps after DoE reports 12.8m barrel drop in weekly US oil inventories
US crude oil inventories shrank at an accelerated pace last week amid a sharp drop in net imports and higher demand from refineries.
US durable goods orders shrink unexpectedly in May
Orders in the US for goods made to last more than three years, a key gauge of business investment, softened unexpectedly in May, amid drops in those for civilian and military aircraft.
US goods trade deficit widens unexpectedly in May, imports higher
America's shortfall in trade on goods with the rest of the world widened last month as imports rose more quickly than expected, contrary to expectations for declines in both exports and imports.
White House may suspend plans for next round of trade tariffs
Washington may not go ahead with another round of levies on Chinese exports while the two capitals are preparing to resume trade talks.
Bitcoin hits $12,900 as analysts spy all-time highs
Bitcoin’s price reached $12,900 for the first time since January 2018 on Wednesday following a furious 14% which has left speculators chomping at the bit in hopes of a further rally up to its 2017 highs or even further.
Rio Tinto no longer blacklisted by Norwegian wealth fund
Norway’s $1tn wealth fund has removed UK miner Rio Tinto and retailer Walmart from its blacklist, possibly paving the way for future investments in both companies.
US Treasury Secretary sees "path" to completing US-China trade talks
American Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Wednesday sounded an upbeat note on the prospects for a US-China trade deal before the end of the year.
US consumer confidence falls back in June on Mexico tariff fears
US consumer confidence took a big hit in June and inflation expectations soared, according to the results of a widely-reported survey, likely due to the impact on sentiment from the White House's announcement of tariffs on Mexican exports.
Cap Gemini snaps up engineering and R&D specialist Altran in all-cash deal
French consultancy group Cap Gemini has inked a deal to buy rival Altran in a bid to build on the two firms' expertise and client base to create a world leader in digital transformation.
Commodities: Gold futures jump further past $1,400/oz.. mark on COMEX
Gold futures climbed further past the psychological $1,400/oz. mark on COMEX amid ongoing speculation that the US central bank might be nearer to starting to cut interest rates and negative news-flow around the geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Boots set to ban plastic carrier bags and switch to paper
Boots is set to ban plastic carrier bags by 2020 and will replace them with brown paper bags.
RBC axes target price for Petra Diamonds
Royal Bank of Canada slashed its target price on shares of Petra Diamonds on the back of its forecasts for continued pricing pressures on the small end of the diamond market and the miner's "high" financial leverage, together with a swith to a new methodology.
Acacia Mining fires back at Barrick Gold over criticism
Acacia Mining has issued a detailed rebuttal of criticisms made by shareholder and potential suitor Barrick Gold, the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter dispute between the two miners.
Commodities: Crude oil and gold futures in focus
Energy futures continued moving ahead at the end of the week as traders kept an watchful on the news flow coming out of the Persian Gulf and the US dollar continued to see some selling pressure.