(Adds Soros, CI Investments, gold price, market background, 13F background)By Renita D. YoungNEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - New York-based Paulson & Co, led by longtime gold bull John Paulson, kept its stake in gold investments during the fourth quarter of 2017, while other heavyweights including Soros Fund Management LLC, Jana Partners LLC and Caxton Corp all remained unexposed to the metal.Th...Read More

(Adds more background on the talks)By Greg RoumeliotisFeb 14 (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc said on Wednesday it met with Broadcom Ltd earlier in the day to discuss the latter's revised $121 billion bid, the first time the chipmakers have discussed what would be the technology sector's largest ever acquisition.The outcome of the meeting will determine whether Qualcomm, which has resisted Broadcom's tak...Read More

(Repeats to attach to additional alert)TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders slid 11.9 percent in December from the previous month, government data showed on Thursday.The fall in core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a good indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, was more than the median estimate of a 2.3 percent fall expected by economist...Read More

TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders slid 11.9 percent in December from the previous month, government data showed on Thursday.The fall in core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a good indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, was more than the median estimate of a 2.3 percent fall expected by economists in a Reuters poll.Companies surveyed...Read More

Bernie WoodallPARKLAND, Fla. (Reuters) - A former student at a Florida high school opened fire in the school on Wednesday, causing “numerous fatalities” and sending hundreds of panicked young people fleeing their classrooms before he was arrested by police, authorities said.The Broward County Sheriff’s Department said “at least 14 victims” from the shooting had been t...Read More

The base metal benefits from massive dollar's sell-off. Spot Nearing 1,356.99, Jan 26th high and the immediate resistance. Persistent dollar's sell-off sent gold prices to their highest for this month, with spot reaching $1,355.42 a troy ounce, almost $40.00 above the low set post-US inflation data release at 1,317.37. The latest dollar's decline came as US Treasury yields reached ne...Read More

SINGAPORE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The dollar extended its losses against the yen and set a fresh 15-month low on Thursday, with the selling accelerating after it breached the previous day's trough.The dollar dropped below Wednesday's nadir of 106.725 yen and fell to as low as 106.42 yen , its weakest level since November 2016. The U.S. currency later pared some of its losses and was last down 0.3 perc...Read More

(Kitco News) - Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE, TSX: ABX) reported a fourth-quarter net loss Wednesday largely due to a previously announced impairment charge, but a profit for adjusted net earnings.The world’s largest gold producer listed a net loss of $314 million, or 27 cents per share, compared to a profit of $425 million, or 36 cents, in the same period a year ago. Adjusted net earnings were $...Read More

(Kitco News) - Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE, TSX: ABX) reported a fourth-quarter net loss Wednesday largely due to a previously announced impairment charge, but a profit for adjusted net earnings.The world’s largest gold producer listed a net loss of $314 million, or 27 cents per share, compared to a profit of $425 million, or 36 cents, in the same period a year ago. Adjusted net earnings were $...Read More

(Corrects to show REINZ says sales volumes rose for the first time in 19 months, not 7 months in headline, 3rd paragraph)By Charlotte GreenfieldWELLINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - New Zealand house prices jumped and sales volumes picked up in January as the market continued its recovery from a prolonged quiet spell for much of the previous year, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) said on...Read More

* Share trade halted ahead of company announcement* Broker takes heavy impairment charges* Losses come as Chinese investors lose interest (Adds details on Co's revenue, trading halt, regulatory changes)Feb 15 (Reuters) - Australian real estate broker McGrath Ltd posted an interim loss on Thursday on impairment charges on its sales segment assets.The net loss for the six months to Dec. 31 was A$25....Read More

The most recent economic data released today clearly indicates that as the economy grows inflation is heating up. The consumer price index for January had its most significant increase in five months. Year on year, the consumer price index is up 2.1%.Add to that the recent upticks in wage growth and the data clearly suggests that inflation has increased. The data also indicates that any apprehensi...Read More

The most recent economic data released today clearly indicates that as the economy grows inflation is heating up. The consumer price index for January had its most significant increase in five months. Year on year, the consumer price index is up 2.1%.Add to that the recent upticks in wage growth and the data clearly suggests that inflation has increased. The data also indicates that any apprehensi...Read More

MEXICO CITY, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Markets and currencies across Latin America gained on Wednesday, as the U.S. dollar weakened and oil prices rose.However, markets in the region's biggest economy, Brazil, remained closed for the third day due to Carnival celebrations.Shares of Mexico's America Movil, controlled by the family of billionaire Carlos Slim, were up 4.26 percent after reporting fourth-qua...Read More

(Recasts with adjusted earnings; adds production, cost forecast, analyst forecast)Feb 14 (Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday in line with market expectations and forecast gold production dropping over the next four years with mining costs seen flat to higher.Barrick, the world's biggest gold producer, said it expects to produce between 4.5 million...Read More

(Kitco News) - Goldcorp Inc. (TSX: G, NYSE: GG) late Wednesday reported that earnings in the fourth quarter more than doubled from the same period a year ago.The gold producer listed a net profit of $242 million, or 28 cents per share, up from $101 million, or 12 cents, in the fourth quarter of 2016.The company said the increased profit was primarily due to higher earnings from Cerro Negro due to...Read More

(Kitco News) - Goldcorp Inc. (TSX: G, NYSE: GG) late Wednesday reported that earnings in the fourth quarter more than doubled from the same period a year ago.The gold producer listed a net profit of $242 million, or 28 cents per share, up from $101 million, or 12 cents, in the fourth quarter of 2016.The company said the increased profit was primarily due to higher earnings from Cerro Negro due to...Read More

(Adds details from filings, background, byline)By Jonathan StempelFeb 14 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Wednesday disclosed a new stake in generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and said it bought more shares of Apple Inc , which surpassed Wells Fargo & Co as its largest common stock investment.Berkshire also nearly completed its yearlong exit from Intern...Read More

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc said on Wednesday its top executives met with Broadcom Ltd to discuss the latter's revised $121 billion bid, the first time the chipmakers have discussed a potential deal."We met with representatives of Broadcom for two hours earlier today," Qualcomm said, adding that its board would meet to determine the next steps. Qualcomm said the meeting was attended...Read More

NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Paulson & Co kept its stake in SPDR Gold Trust at 4.36 million shares during the fourth quarter of 2017, though the value rose to $539.1 million, up from $530 million in the third quarter, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing showed on Wednesday.Paulson also left stakes unchanged in mining companies AngloGold Ashanti Ltd , NovaGold Resources Inc , IAMGO...Read More