* Euro short distance away from 3-year high vs dollar* Combo of strong euro zone data, dollar weakness support euro* Dollar/yen manages to rise as risk appetite hits Japanese unit* A$ headed for 4th week of gains, commodity currencies strong By Shinichi SaoshiroTOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The euro hovered near a three-year high against the sagging dollar on Friday, while improving investor risk appe...Read More

(Repeats story from late on Thursday)* China bans under-the-table transactions that skirt rules* Beijing sets "soft" caps on repo, reverse repo trading volume* Changes underscore coordinated efforts to cut financial leverage SHANGHAI, Jan 4 (Reuters) - China released new rules tightening bond trading regulations on Thursday, with a focus on restricting leverage and banning under-the-ta...Read More

* PREVIOUS TRADING SESSION MOVES:* SSEC +0.5 pct, CSI300 +0.4 pct, HSI +0.6 pct* HK->Shanghai Connect daily quota used 21.7 pct, Shanghai->HK daily quota used 26.4 pct* HK->Shenzhen Connect daily quota used 13.1 pct, Shenzhen->HK daily quota used 11.8 pct* CNY official close 6.494 per dollar* FTSE China A50 +0.5 pct, BNY Mellon ADR China Select Index +0.6 pct SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (Reuters)...Read More

Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Malaysian ringgit strengthened on Friday to its highest level against the U.S. dollar since August 2016, boosted by higher oil prices.The ringgit advanced about 0.2 percent to 3.998 to the dollar, breaking the psychologically significant 4 level."There are a few factors at work: the latest catalyst must be a confluence of oil prices being very buoyant...paired with a dol...Read More

EDINBURGH, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A cocktail of higher costs, weak domestic growth and lacklustre consumer demand is dampening optimism among British small businesses, with confidence in Scotland dropping sharply to near a 5-year low at the end of 2017, a survey showed on Friday.The Federation of Small Business said confidence among its members across Britain fell to a four-year low of -2.5 in the last...Read More

By Costas PitasLONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - British new car sales recorded their biggest drop since 2009 last year, falling by more than 5 percent due to uncertainty over potential new diesel charges and weakening consumer confidence since Brexit, an industry body said on Friday. Registrations ended 2017 at around 2.54 million vehicles, according to provisional data, and are set to fall up to 7 perc...Read More

Jan 5 (Reuters) - For other diaries, please see:Top Economic Events Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News DATECOUNTRY AUCTION DETAILS5-JanJapan 3-month discount bill auction8-JanFranceAuction of BTF Treasury notes8-JanNetherlands DTC auction9-JanUnited States Sale of 3-year notes9-JanUnited KingdomAuction of 1 1/4 % Treasury Gilt 20279-JanNetherlands DSL auction 10-Jan...Read More

* Underlying UK sales down 2.3 pct in December - BDO* Shop prices fell 0.6 pct - BRC LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - British shops suffered a fall in underlying sales in December for the fifth straight year, a survey showed on Friday, adding to evidence consumers are tightening their belts.Britons are being squeezed by slow wage growth and a jump in inflation that followed the 2016 Brexit vote, prompti...Read More

Jan 5 (Reuters) -For other diaries, please see:U.S. Federal Reserve Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News -----------------------------------------------------------This Diary is fileddaily. ** Indicates new events -----------------------------------------------------------FRIDAY, JANUARY 5PHILADELPHIA - Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane: Chairing panel sessi...Read More

Australia-based SolGold has released a maiden resource for the Alpala deposit at its Cascabel copper-gold porphyry project in Ecuador.Read full newsRead More

Following a $54 million impairment charge in its Nzema mine, located approximately 70km from Takoradi in southwestern Ghana, Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) announced it has sold its 90% stake in the project to African contracting group BCM International. The remaining 10% is held by the Ghanaian government.The transaction was originally disclosed in August last year and it was completed in late Decemb...Read More

Following a $54 million impairment charge in its Nzema mine, located approximately 70km from Takoradi in southwestern Ghana, Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) announced it has sold its 90% stake in the project to African contracting group BCM International. The remaining 10% is held by the Ghanaian government.The transaction was originally disclosed in August last year and it was completed in late Decemb...Read More

(Adds details on financing plans, issuance)BUENOS AIRES, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Argentina sold $9 billion in a three-part dollar bond issuance that was oversubscribed on Thursday, covering nearly a third of its expected financing needs for 2018 early in the year. Latin America's third largest economy sold $1.75 billion in five-year bonds at a yield of 4.625 percent, $4.25 billion of 10-year bonds at 6...Read More

The yellow metal fell quickly to $1,308.20 per ounce after the latest Fed minutes were released at 2:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday.Read full newsRead More

The Trump administration unveiled a controversial proposal Thursday to permit drilling in most U.S. continental-shelf waters, including protected areas of the Arctic and the Atlantic, where oil and gas exploration is opposed by governors from New Jersey to Florida, nearly a dozen attorneys general, more than 100 U.S. lawmakers and the Defense Department. Under the proposal, only one [...]Read f...Read More

FTSE 100 closes at 7,695Blue chip index briefly broke through 6,700FTSE 250 up 76 at 20,820Dow Jones breaks through 25,000 for first timeFTSE 100 finished just shy of the 7,700 level at 7,695 as Wall Street strength permeated through the markets.The Footsie closed Thursday up around 24 points, or 0.32% to 7,695, while in the US, major benchmarks reached new highs, with the Dow Jones up over 25,000...Read More

The number to focus on today is the number 10. Gold traders are witnessing a run on the precious yellow metal, now in its 10th day for consecutive price gains. The last time traders witnessed ten consecutive trading days resulting in higher prices was back in 2011. In fact, that rally resulted in a total of 13 consecutive higher trading days, one of the longest consecutive daily price advances in...Read More

The number to focus on today is the number 10. Gold traders are witnessing a run on the precious yellow metal, now in its 10th day for consecutive price gains. The last time traders witnessed ten consecutive trading days resulting in higher prices was back in 2011. In fact, that rally resulted in a total of 13 consecutive higher trading days, one of the longest consecutive daily price advances in...Read More

Yesterday, the minutes of the FOMC December meeting were released. What do they say about the Fed’s stance and what do they mean for the gold market? The Fed Is Divided over Number of Hikes in 2018 At the December meeting, the U.S. central bank increased the federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a range 1.25-1.50 percent. The move was widely expected by investors, but there was...Read More

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Argentina covered nearly a third of its expected 2018 financing needs by selling $9 billion in dollar bonds on Thursday, after receiving offers for $21.4 billion, the finance ministry said in a statement.Argentina sold $1.75 billion in five-year bonds at a yield of 4.625 percent, $4.25 billion of 10-year bonds at 6 percent and $3 billion in 30-year bonds at 7 percen...Read More