By Sarah McFarlane Oil trader Trafigura Group's half-year profit fell sharply on less volatile oil prices, despite a rise in traded volumes. The privately held company reported a 22% fall in profit to $471 million in the six months ended March 31 from the same period the previous fiscal year. Oil trading volumes rose during the period, putting the firm on course to exceed 5 million barrels a day i...Read More

* European bank shares rise after Santander rescues rival Popular* All eyes on "Triple Threat Thursday"* Oil plunges after supply data* Euro hit by report ECB may cut inflation outlook (Changes dateline to New York; adds Wall Street open; updates throughout)By Hilary RussNEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) - A smoothly executed rescue of Spain's struggling Banco Popular lifted European bank stocks on Wedne...Read More

(Corrects firm's name to Foglamp Capital Partners from Foglight Capital in paragraph 8)By Svea Herbst-BaylissBOSTON, June 2 (Reuters) - Some hedge fund managers can finally brag a little as several prominent ones, including Daniel Loeb and William Ackman, last month beat the broader stock market's gains, early returns show.Loeb, who runs $16 billion Third Point, told investors his Third Point Par...Read More

By Mfuneko ToyanaJOHANNESBURG, June 7 (Reuters) - South African bonds priced in a higher likelihood of a 50 basis point rate cut by the central bank sooner than anticipated after the economy unexpectedly slipped into recession and raised the risk of further credit downgrades.Forward rate markets on Wednesday were pricing in a nearly 30 percent chance of a 50 basis point interest rate cut at the ne...Read More

MILAN, June 7 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury said on Wednesday it would offer 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) in 12-month bills at auction on Monday.AUCTION DATEJune 12, 2017SETTLEMENT DATE June 14, 2017MATURITYJune 14, 2018AMOUNT OFFERED6.5 bln eurosEXPIRING AMOUNT 6.5 bln euros($1 = 0.8892 euros) (Reporting by Milan Newsroom) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the autho...Read More

* Former FBI director to testify before Congress on Thursday* UK election also in focus* Oil falls 4 pct after build-up in U.S. crude inventories* Indexes up: Dow 0.05 pct, S&P 0.06 pct, Nasdaq 0.27 pct (Adds details, changes comment, updates prices)By Tanya AgrawalJune 7 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks pared early gains to trade little changed in late morning trading on Wednesday as oil prices fell, whil...Read More

(Adds detail)By Francesco Canepa and Frank SiebeltFRANKFURT, June 7 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is likely to stick to its aggressive stimulus policy at its meeting on Thursday because inflation remains below its target, despite brisker economic growth in the euro zone. Sources have told Reuters the ECB is likely to nudge up its forecasts for economic growth in the euro zone but trim its...Read More

Speaking at the Bloomberg Invest summit in New York, Bill Gross (of the recently merged Janus Henderson) who may or may not have been talking his bond book, issued a loud warning to traders saying U.S. markets are at their highest risk levels since before the 2008 financial crisis "because investors are paying a high price for the chances they're taking." Well, either that, or simply ignoring the...Read More

Stocks moved cautiously higher on Wednesday as investors waited for direction from a number of market-churning events on Thursday and a major selloff in crude kneecapped indexes. The S&P 500 was up 0.11%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.06%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.2%. Losses in crude oil prices picked up speed on Wednesday after a surprise increase in domestic crude stockpiles....Read More

* Dollar index steady, near 7-month low* Sterling up on eve of UK election* Graphic: FX rates in 2017 (Updates with U.S. market open, changes dateline from LONDON)By Saqib Iqbal AhmedNEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) - The euro was slightly weaker against the dollar on Wednesday, in choppy trading, on reports suggesting the European Central Bank would lower its inflation targets at Thursday's policy anno...Read More

(New throughout, adds Escondida and Sierra Gorda, emergency services)By Fabian CamberoSANTIAGO, June 7 (Reuters) - Mines in northern Chile have suspended key operations after heavy rains lashed the high altitude desert region of Antofagasta overnight and into Wednesday, companies told Reuters.BHP Billiton'sEscondida, the world's biggest copper mine, said it was snowing and all operations had been...Read More

* Greece wants yields below 5 pct before debt market return* ECB support would boost chances considerably* Decisions will depend on outcome of Eurogroup meeting By Lefteris Papadimas and Marc JonesATHENS/LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Greece will return to markets once its borrowing costs drop below 5 percent, sources told Reuters, which could happen if the European Central Bank includes Greek bonds...Read More

(Adds details on latest data, graphics)NEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) - U.S. applications to buy a home reached their highest level in about seven years last week as mortgage rates fell to their lowest levels since late 2016, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.The Washington-based group's seasonally adjusted index on mortgage requests for home purchases rose 10 percent to 261.9 in the...Read More

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has substantially expanded the range of dates that its London gold futures contract can be traded, as it seeks to beat rival exchanges to gain a foothold in the city's $5 trillion-a-year bullion market. ICE said that from May 22 its daily futures contract could be traded on dates up to three months into the future. Previously it could be t...Read More

* Czechs estimated to have 3 pct of global lithium resources* European Metals aims to start mining in 2019* Lithium demand seen surging, mainly due to electric cars By Robert MullerCINOVEC, Czech Republic, June 7 (Reuters) - Mining for lithium could start in the Czech Republic in two years, exploiting Europe's largest resource of the metal that is used in batteries for electric vehicles and home...Read More

From safety-deposit boxes in leafy west London to high-security facilities housing gold and silver in Frankfurt, companies that store valuables are expanding to meet demand. A rush into haven assets that began during the financial crisis is getting a new lease on life from an upsurge in populist politics and a quickening of inflation. Two firms say they're planning to open vaults in Europe capab...Read More

By Gertrude Chavez-DreyfussNEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices fell on Wednesday, with yields trading within narrow ranges, as investors consolidated positions ahead of a key events on Thursday, including a European Central Bank policy meeting and Britain's general election.Markets will also be focused on former FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Thursday before a Senate pa...Read More

Seabridge Gold Inc (TSX:SEA) (NYSE:SA) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in the Snowstorm Project from PFR Gold Holdings, LP ("PFR") (formerly known as Paulson Gold Holdings, LP). The Snowstorm Project consists of 31 square miles of land holdings strategically located at the projected intersection of three of the most important gold trends in Northern Nevada:...Read More

PRAGUE, June 7 (Reuters) - The Czech central bank could make its first interest rate rise in the second half of this year, Vice-Governor Mojmir Hampl said on Wednesday."Our forecast counts with the rise of interest rates in the second half of the year... so far, I still see this as the most likely development," Hampl said at a corporate treasury conference.The Czech National Bank (CNB) abandoned i...Read More

Rudi Fronk and Jim Anthony, the cofounders of Seabridge Gold, discuss the significance of gold breaching its downward sloping trend line.Today, gold broke a nearly six year-long downward sloping trend line that goes back to its all-time high of $1921 in August of 2011. Gold has not managed to cross above this trend line, currently at around $1280, since then, although it has come close a number of...Read More