WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve should consider changing its inflation target to allow for an acceptable range of inflation rates, Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren said on Monday.Rosengren said the optimal inflation target for the U.S. central bank might shift as time passes. "My own view is that we should be focused on an inflation range, with the potential t...Read More

Light automotive production in Mexico hit an annual record high in 2017, at 3.77 million units, the country's automobile association, Amia, said on Monday January 8.This represented an increase of 8.90% from 2016's output of 3.46 million vehicles.This positive result was mostly due to demand from export markets, according to the group.Exports of Mexican light auto...Read More

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to be little changed at open on Tuesday as a blistering run on Wall Street, which the local index often looks to for cues, lost steam with healthcare and financial stocks weighing on major indexes.U.S. indexes barely moved on Monday as investors took a breather ahead of earnings season and after a strong start to 2018. The Australian local share pri...Read More

The seaborne iron ore market received a boost on Monday January 8 froma strong futures market. Key drivers China's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) announced on Monday that no new capacity will be allowed in the steel, cement and flat glass industries, and issued specific requirements for steel mills replacing old with new capacities. The announcement s...Read More

TORONTO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index retreated on Monday as shares of some materials and financial services companies weighed, offset by gains for marijuana producers.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed down 31.79 points, or 0.19 percent, at 16,317.65. Seven of the index's 10 main groups ended lower. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Ja...Read More

China's ferrous futures prices turned around to surge late in the afternoon on Monday, January 8 after the country's officials declared stricter steel capacity replacement criteria to be implemented from this year.The production facilities that will be allowed to have capacity replaced will only include those recorded in capacity replacement plans approved by local or central governments...Read More

NEW YORK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 barely rose on Monday while the healthcare and financial sectors weighed and investors took a breather ahead of earnings season and after the strong rally that marked the start of 2018.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 12.94 points, or 0.05 percent, to 25,282.93, the S&P 500 gained 4.55 points, or 0.17 percent, to 2,747.7 and the Nasdaq Composite...Read More

ALL TIMES IN EST/GMT -------------------------------------------------------0600/1100: The National Federation of Independent Business issues Small Business Optimism Index for December.1130/1630: The Labor Dept. issues Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for November.1130/1630: The Treasury Dept. holds weekly sale of 4-week bills.1300/1800: The Treasury Dept. sells 3-year notes.1630/2130: The A...Read More

(Updates market action after Fed speeches)* Treasury to sell $56 bln supply this week* Stronger German debt helps U.S. bonds firm* Fed's Bostic indicates doubt about three rate hikes this year By Kate DuguidNEW YORK, Jan 8 - U.S. bond yields were little changed on Monday after a boost from stronger German government debt and a Federal Reserve official's remarks that the U.S. central bank may only...Read More

Codelco's Ventanas smelter in Chile achieved record-high copper cathode production in 2017 despite stricter environmental regulations and a more complex global scenario for smelters, the company said on Monday January 8.Ventanas' cathode production reached record levels for the fourth consecutive year. Output totaled 410,024 tonnes in 2017, up by 2,700 tonnes...Read More

NASHVILLE, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is close to making a decision on who to nominate as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, an administration official said on Monday.The position became vacant in October after veteran central banker Stanley Fischer stepped down for personal reasons. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, writing by Roberta Rampton; editing by Diane Craft) Disclaimer: The v...Read More

Aluminium was the only metal that ended lower at the end of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday January 8.The three-month aluminium price ended around 1.2% lower than its pre-weekend closing level at $2,175 per tonne.Around 14,000 lots changed hands by the 5pm close, outpacing copper by about 2,000 lots.Stocks fell a net 3,600 tonnes to 1,095,875 tonnes. Although on-warrant aluminium st...Read More

(Adds discussion of yield curve; further rate comments)By Howard SchneiderATLANTA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve may only need to raise interest rates two times in 2018 given weak price pressures and possible loss of public confidence in the central bank's ability to hit a 2 percent inflation target, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Monday.Bostic, a voter on interest rate poli...Read More

NFEx Markets' chief operating officer and its most senior director, Mark Bradley, has resigned from the board alongside non-executive director Jim Coupland, filings on the UK's Companies House show on Monday January 8.The over-the-counter base metals trading platform is due to start trading in the coming months.Bradley and Coupland will remain advisers to NFEx alongside former London Metal Exchang...Read More

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve could better fight a recession by committing to keep interest rates lower for longer to keep average inflation on a steady upward path over the years, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said on Monday.Williams in the past has spoken favorably of this approach to monetary policy, known as price-level targeting. "It basically promise...Read More

Turkish steel mills returned to the deep-sea scrap markets willing to pay higher prices on Monday January 8.Metal Bulletin's daily index for Northern European HMS 1&2 (80:20) closed the day at $368.20 per tonne cfr, up by $6.58 per tonne.The daily index for US-origin scrap closed at $378.85 per tonne cfr. Up by $9.34 per tonne, putting the premium for US material...Read More

CARACAS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Prices in Venezuela, which is believed to have the world's highest inflation, jumped 2,616 percent last year, the country's opposition-led National Assembly said, as millions suffer from food and medicine shortages during a severe economic crisis.Opposition politicians, whose numbers are broadly in line with analysts' estimates, on Monday put December's inflation figure...Read More

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Stock MarketsNet ChngStock MarketsNet ChngS&P/ASX 200** 6,130.40 8.10NZX 50**8,425.48 -30.07DJIA25,289.66-5.42 NIKKEI**23,714.53208.20Nasdaq7,152.21115.625FTSE**7,696.51 -27.71S&P 500 2,745.46 2.30Hang Seng** 30,899.5384.89SPI 200 Fut 6,085.05.0 STI** 3,512.18 22.73SSEC**3,410.00 18.25 KOSPI** 2,513.28 15.76-----------------------------------------------------------------...Read More

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday January 9.Aluminium was the only metal to end lower at the end of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday January 8. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Monday.NFEx Markets' chief operating officer and its most senior director, Mark Bradley, has resigned from the...Read More

* Jeep a key pillar of CEO's strategy* Investor optimism boosted by Morgan Stanley report* Shares hit record high By Agnieszka Flak MILAN, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) shares hit a record high on Monday on growing expectations that the carmaker's coveted Jeep brand will unlock even greater value this year.The stock jumped more than 20 percent last week on a bullish outlook for the auto s...Read More