Lucia MutikaniWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial production increased for a fourth straight month in September, boosted by gains in manufacturing and mining output, but momentum slowed sharply in the third quarter.The Federal Reserve said on Tuesday industrial production rose 0.3 percent last month after an unrevised 0.4 percent increase in August. Industrial output grew at a 3.3 percent annua...Read More

There were multiple signs of a climactic volatility event last ThursdayIt was just two short weeks ago in this space that we found ourselves looking askance at the state of the short volatility trade. And in the aftermath of last week's rapid-fire sell-off in stocks -- which was accompanied by the de rigueur spike in the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- it's worth "assessing the damage" by way of a...Read More

Dutch battery maker Lithium Werks BV, founded earlier this year, is investing 1.6 billion euros ($1.85 billion) in a massive lithium-ion cell factory in China as demand for batteries is surging.The facility will have production capacity of 8 gigawatt-hours per year, or the equivalent capacity of batteries to power 160,000 cars. It will be the company's second Chinese manufacturing site and should...Read More

   •  Rising diplomatic tensions continue to underpin safe-haven demand.    •  Subdued USD price-action remains supportive of a mildly positive tone.   •  A modest uptick in the US bond yields seemed to cap meaningful up-move. Gold traded with a mild positive bias on Tuesday and remained within striking distance of 2-1/2 month high,...Read More

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday on evidence of higher U.S. oil production and increasing U.S. crude inventories, but reports of a fall in Iranian oil exports helped to limit losses.Brent crude was down 50 cents a barrel at $80.28 by 1320 GMT. U.S. light crude was 40 cents lower at $71.38.“Shale oil production continues unabated in the United States,” said Carsten Fritsch,...Read More

(Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc added more members to its health insurance plans in the third quarter, helping the industry bellwether beat profit estimates and raise its earnings forecast for the full year.Kicking off the earnings season for the sector, the United States’ largest health insurer said on Tuesday it now expects adjusted profit to approach $12.80 per share in 2018, compared...Read More

These 2 stocks are in the red despite broad-market tailwindsThe Dow is trading higher out of the gate this morning thanks to upbeat corporate earnings. However, not every stock is gaining after earnings. Take for example investment management giant BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) and restaurant chain Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE:DPZ), which are both in the red this morning. We'll take a closer look at sh...Read More

ADBE is finding support near its 200-day trendlineThe shares of Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) are up 7.2% to trade at $255.25 this morning, after the company confirmed at its analyst day its fourth quarter revenue and profit forecast, while expecting 20% revenue growth in 2019. The event drew rave reviews from analysts, with Barclays issuing a price-target hike to $304 from $297. In ad...Read More

TOKYO (Reuters) - The number of Japanese companies affected by the U.S.-Sino trade war has jumped to a third, soaring from just 3 percent in May with firms fretting about prospects for their exports from China as well as slower Chinese demand, a Reuters poll found.The survey also showed 53 percent of firms were worried about the fallout from the escalating trade friction and that some, albeit stil...Read More

(Reuters) - BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, helped by lower taxes, but the company’s sales growth sank as investors cut risk in their portfolios.The company’s revenue and earnings before interest and taxes nonetheless fell short of Wall Street’s estimates as BlackRock reported its lowest sales of equity, bond and other long-term...Read More

UnitedHealth stock has already been an analyst favoriteShares of UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) are 3.7% higher in electronic trading -- and could hit a new record high today -- after the Dow name reported an adjusted third-quarter profit beat of $3.41 per share and raised its full-year earnings outlook. UnitedHealth cited an increase in health insurance members as one of the notable catalysts...Read More

Gold is “back in fashion,” says Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at FXTM. Spot metalhit a three-month high of $1,has been as high as $1,232.70 an ounce Monday andremains near that level, hovering just under $1,230 in early-Tuesday trading. “A combination of factors ranging from depressed equitymarkets, trade disputes, global growth fears and geopolitical tensions havebrought gold...Read More

Gold is “back in fashion,” says Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at FXTM. Spot metal hit a three-month high of $1,has been as high as $1,232.70 an ounce Monday and remains near that level, hovering just under $1,230 in early-Tuesday trading. “A combination of factors ranging from depressed equity markets, trade disputes, global growth fears and geopolitical tensions have brought...Read More

Gold's explosive rally over the last couple of trading sessions is unlikely to continue. That's because the rally is not built on a solid sentiment foundation. Instead of beginning against a backdrop of widespread pessimism and investor despair, this rally began when the mood among gold market-timers was already surprisingly upbeat. According to contrarian analysis, this means that the current ral...Read More

(Reuters) - Brian Small will step down as chief financial officer of JD Sports (JD.L) after almost 15 years in the role, Britain’s biggest sportswear retailer said on Tuesday.Small will be replaced by Neil Greenhalgh who has the current role of group finance director, it added. Like Small, he joined the company in 2004.“The Board is delighted that a planned succession has been achieved...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government closed the 2018 fiscal year $779 billion in the red, its highest deficit in six years, as Republican-led tax cuts pinched revenues and expenses rose on a growing national debt, according to data released on Monday by the Treasury Department.New government spending also expanded the federal deficit for the 12 months through September, the first full annual...Read More

(Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) lowered its earnings forecast for the year on Tuesday and said its e-commerce growth next year would be slower than the current fiscal year that ends in January, sending its shares down in premarket trading.Walmart’s earnings next year will be eroded by its acquisition of Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart in May for $16 billion, its largest-ever deal, in order t...Read More

BERLIN, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Germany’s economic outlook is clouded by an escalating trade dispute between the United States and China and by the growing threat of Britain crashing out of the European Union without a divorce deal, the ZEW institite said on Tuesday.“Expectations for the German economy are dampening above all due to the intensifying trade dispute between the USA and China,&...Read More

Brazil's mining giant Vale (NYSE:VALE), the world's No.1 iron ore and nickel producer, has ruled out any major acquisitions in the short-term and said it would only invest further in nickel if global prices for the metal improve.Speaking at the FT Commodities Global Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, Vale chief executive Fabio Schvartsman said the company would only consider developing its gian...Read More

* Tria backing boosts hopes he will stay on in govt* Italian yields down 6-16 bps across the board* Italy/Germany yield spread tightens to 292 bps* Euro zone periphery govt bond yields tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr (Updates pricing, adds quotes and results of Finland auction, ZEW survey)By Abhinav Ramnarayan and Virginia FurnessLONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Italian government bond yields dropped across the boa...Read More