Gold is starting the new year on the front foot. Bullion advanced for an eighth session to head for the longest stretch of gains since mid-2011, building on an annual surge.Read full newsRead More

MUMBAI, Jan 2 (Reuters) - India's gold imports surged 67 percent in 2017 from the previous year to 855 tonnes as jewellers replenished inventory amid a rebound in retail demand, provisional data from precious metals consultancy GFMS showed.The rebound in purchases by India, the world's second-biggest consumer of gold after China, could support global prices, which are already near their highest le...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices continued to trade firmly above the $1,300 level after the release of December’s final manufacturing PMI for the U.S., which was reported to be at the highest level since March 2015.The U.S. manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for December rose to a reading of 55.1 from November’s 53.9, marking the quickest pace in over two years, research firm IHS Markit...Read More

LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The following FTSE 100 companies will go ex-dividend on Thursday, after which investors will no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout. According to Reuters calculations at current market prices, the effect ofthe resulting adjustment to prices by market-makers would take 0.84 points offthe index.COMPANY(RIC)DIVIDENDSTOCK OPTION IMPACT (pence)BR LAND 6.02 0.23CO EXP...Read More

(Adds latest prices)JOHANNESBURG, Jan 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand was little changed on the first trading day of 2018, giving up earlier gains in late trade after it was buoyed by improved sentiment for emerging currencies and a sluggish dollar. At 1500 GMT, the rand was 0.26 percent softer at 12.4125 per dollar, still within easy striking distance of its 2-1/2-year high of 12.2400.The curr...Read More

Riot Blockchain Inc (NASDAQ:RIOT) is down 3.9% at $27.28, even as bitcoin trades higher. Today's downside comes after CEO John O'Rourke revealed in an SEC filing that he sold 19,583 RIOT shares for $28.45 apiece, and 10,800 shares for $28.90 each. The transaction occurred last Friday, Dec. 29, when RIOT stock closed at $28.40.In the last three months, the shares have nearly quadrupled in value --...Read More

DUBLIN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Ireland's debt agency mandated dealers on Tuesday to issue a new 10-year bond in a syndicated sale a market source said would likely raise between 3 and 4 billion euros, around a quarter of this year's funding needs. The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) said last month it would issue between 14 and 18 billion euros of long-term debt in 2018, including at least o...Read More

* Oil trades near strongest levels since mid-2015* Casino stocks hit by downbeat Dec. gambling revenue* Walt Disney, Netflix gain after upgrade* Indexes up: Dow 0.45 pct, S&P 0.35 pct, Nasdaq 0.31 pct (Updates to open)By Sruthi ShankarJan 2 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes were higher on Tuesday, the first trading day of the year, buoyed by gains in technology and consumer discretionary...Read More

International diamond trading network Rapaport Group released a report that states that, following a better-than-expected holiday season, polished diamond prices stabilized in December 2017.Even though the company's RapNet Diamond Index, known as RAPI, slid 1.7% for 3-carat diamonds in the last month of the year, it edged up 0.3% for 1-carat diamonds, 1.2% for 0.30-carat diamonds, and 0.6% for 0.5...Read More

International diamond trading network Rapaport Group released a report that states that, following a better-than-expected holiday season, polished diamond prices stabilized in December 2017.Even though the company's RapNet Diamond Index, known as RAPI, slid 1.7% for 3-carat diamonds in the last month of the year, it edged up 0.3% for 1-carat diamonds, 1.2% for 0.30-carat diamonds, and 0.6% for 0.5...Read More

International diamond trading network Rapaport Group released a report that states that, following a better-than-expected holiday season, polished diamond prices stabilized in December 2017.Even though the company's RapNet Diamond Index, known as RAPI, slid 1.7% for 3-carat diamonds in the last month of the year, it edged up 0.3% for 1-carat diamonds, 1.2% for 0.30-carat diamonds, and 0.6% for 0.5...Read More

Online streaming subscription service Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is soaring this morning after the stock received an upgrade to "outperform" from "neutral" at Macquarie, along with a price-target raise to $220 from $200. In a note to clients, the brokerage firm also stated that the FAANG stock is "miles ahead" of its streaming competition in terms of original content, and asserted, "Netflix has w...Read More

Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has kicked off the new year in lackluster fashion. The Dow stock was downgraded this morning to "neutral" from "overweight" at J.P. Morgan Securities. The brokerage firm noted that it is still fundamentally bullish on Johnson & Johnson -- evidenced by the fact it kept its price target at $150 -- but said there are more compelling large-cap play...Read More

* Reviewing discretionary spending across all segments* News comes less than two weeks after CEO left* No need for additional equity measures (Recasts, adds context on capex, details)FRANKFURT, Jan 2 (Reuters) - German energy group Innogy is examining potential cost cuts across all parts of its business after its chief executive left in a dispute over the company's strategy.Innogy, which was carve...Read More

TORONTO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index opened little changed on Tuesday, helped by gold miners and marijuana companies while financial stocks and energy companies weighed.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 4.51 points, or 0.03 percent, at 16,204.62 shortly after opening in positive territory. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Disc...Read More

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Tuesday, the first trading day of 2018, signaling stocks were set to extend last year's strong run.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 112.93 points, or 0.46 percent, to 24,832.15.The S&P 500 gained 11.3 points, or 0.42265 percent, to 2,684.91.The Nasdaq Composite added 28.66 points, or 0.42 percent, to 6,932.04. (Reporting by Sr...Read More

Stock futures are signaling a positive start to the new year, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) notched impressive 2017 returns. The premarket gains come as February-dated crude futures hold above the $60-per-barrel mark amid increasing political tension in Iran and the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) points to a fifth straight down day. Ahead...Read More

McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is set to start the new year on the right foot, thanks to a bullish note from Nomura. The brokerage firm named the fast food giant its top pick for domestic restaurant stocks, expecting a number of factors -- including a new Dollar Menu -- to lead to better-than-expected results over the next two years. As such, the covering analyst raised his price target to $190...Read More

* Emaar group stocks bought back in Dubai on valuations* Gulf Navigation sinks on rights issue plan* Banks boost Abu Dhabi, Qatar* Saudi's Bupa Arabia climbs on deal with Aramco* Kuwait general index falls sharply but blue chips steady By Andrew TorchiaDUBAI, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar rose as they opened for the first day of trade in 2018, while Saudi A...Read More

WARSAW, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Poland's finance ministry will offer treasury bonds worth 3 billion zlotys ($869.51 million) - 5 billion zlotys at an auction on Thursday, the ministry said on Tuesday.The ministry said it will offer bonds due July 2020, November 2022, January 2023, April 2028 and May 2028.($1 = 3.4502 zlotys) (Reporting by Marcin Goclowski and Agnieszka Barteczko; Writing by Lidia Kelly)...Read More