(Reuters) - The U.S. economy has reached the threshold for maximum employment and it may already be lower than is sustainable, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said on Thursday.“Our judgment at the Dallas Fed is that we are either at or already past full employment,” Kaplan said at a local chamber of commerce event in Richardson, Texas.Kaplan is currently in favor of two more interes...Read More

Henning Gloystein, Rajendra Jadhav, Neil Jerome MoralesSINGAPORE/MUMBAI/MANILA (Reuters) - The cost of Asia’s growing thirst for oil will surpass $1 trillion this year, about twice as much as in 2015 and 2016, as oil prices touch $80 per barrel and continental demand hits a record.Oil prices have risen nearly 20 percent since January and topped $80 per barrel in intraday trading on Thursday...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that NATO members that do not contribute fully to the organization would be “dealt with,” and singled out Germany as one country he said was not doing enough.Trump’s remarks came at a Cabinet meeting attended by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg.Stoltenberg praised...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold is looking comfortable just under its key psychological level of $1,300 an ounce, said Capital Economics, adding that gold bulls have to wait until the end of Federal Reserve’s tightening cycle before seeing a major price surge.“The price of gold appears to be well supported at around current levels. As such, we remain comfortable with our end-2018 forecast of $1,30...Read More

Plus, WWE stock scores a record high as TV suitors line upStocks are slumping today, despite another early burst from oil prices and the energy sector. Among stocks making particular noise today, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) and biotech stock Loxo Oncology Inc (NASDAQ:LOXO) are pushing higher, while construction name US Concrete Inc (NASDAQ:USCR) is swimming in red ink. Her...Read More

Why it may not be too late to jump in on the fund's uptrendSince May 8, when President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, theEnergy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLE) has been on fire. With oil prices surging amid concerns about Iran sanctions, the energy exchange-traded fund (ETF) is pacing for its 10th straight win -- which would mark its longest win...Read More

Options bears and short sellers have been targeting SHAKShake Shack Inc (NYSE:SHAK) hit a two-year high of $59.91 earlier, and was last seen trading up 2% at $59.80. With the shares holding near this peak -- and implied volatilities low after the company's early May earnings report -- it could be time to bet on SHAK stock's next leg higher.Specifically, the equity's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (S...Read More

KR stock has become a battleground between bulls and bearsIt's been a volatile two-year stretch for Kroger Co (NYSE:KR). In fact, KR has a Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) of 89, which shows it's consistently made bigger moves than the options market was expecting over the past 12 months. This choppy price action is continuing today. The stock was up as much as 5.7% earlier, but was last see...Read More

Gold has not performed well as of late, especially when compared to other assets such as the S&P 500.One of the reasons for this is the strong dollar and the rising interest rate policy being embarked on by the Federal Reserve.There are several demand-side pressures on gold right now that should cause the price to move upward.It's possible that all of the major gold deposits worldwide have...Read More

David LawderWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China launch a second round of trade talks on Thursday to try to avert a damaging tariff war, with the Trump administration demanding a $200 billion cut in China’s U.S. trade surplus and greater protections for intellectual property.U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose up to $150 billion in punitive tariffs to combat wh...Read More

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian diamond miner Alrosa (ALRS.MM) may buy state-owned diamond polisher Kristall in 2018, Russia’s Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said on Thursday.Alrosa, the world’s largest rough diamond producer by output, said previously it was “expedient” for it to buy Kristall when the state-owned company is privatised.“Kristall will be sold at the...Read More

Jonathan Spicer, Sharay AnguloNEW YORK/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he felt “positive” about talks to rework the NAFTA trade pact, while a top Mexican official held out hope a deal could be hammered out by the end of May.U.S. officials say the talks need to wrap up very soon to give the current Congress time to vote on a final text for...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that it was moving forward with plans for a summit meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, despite North Korea’s threat to pull out of the summit if the U.S. insists it give up its nuclear program.“Nothing has changed on our end,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sande...Read More

Gabriela BaczynskaSOFIA (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out on Thursday any trade war with the United States over its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal as a wave of European companies quit business with Tehran, fearing the global reach of U.S. sanctions.European Union leaders united behind the 2015 accord, and Brussels announced it would launch a legal process banning EU-...Read More

Joyce Lee, Heekyong YangSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea’s chief negotiator called the South Korean government “ignorant and incompetent” on Thursday, denounced U.S.-South Korean air combat drills and threatened to halt all talks with the South unless its demands are met.The comments by Ri Son Gwon, chairman of North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the coun...Read More

TODAY LME STOCKINVENTORY DATA : 17/05/2018ALUMINIUM +6275 , COPPER +9375 , NICKEL -1614 , LEAD +200 , TIN +135 AND ZINC -825AFTER POST CONTENT Read More

The Leading Economic Index rose 0.4 percent in April. This was the sixth straight month of gains for the index, which combines 10 economic metrics to take a pulse on the U.S. economy. The index rose 0.3 percent in March. Gillian Brassil| @Gillian_Brassil Published 11 Hours AgoUpdated10 Hours AgoCNBC.com show chapters Leading economic indicators up 0.4% in April   10 Hours Ago |0...Read More

(Kitco News) - A look at the monthly continuation chart nearby lumber futures shows a nearly vertical price climb since the beginning of 2018, with another new record high scored Thursday. The lumber chart dates back over 40 years, and this present price rally dwarfs previous cyclical highs. The unprecedented move in lumber prices has most certainly taken virtually all market watchers by surprise....Read More

(Kitco News) - A look at the monthly continuation chart nearby lumber futures shows a nearly vertical price climb since the beginning of 2018, with another new record high scored Thursday. The lumber chart dates back over 40 years, and this present price rally dwarfs previous cyclical highs. The unprecedented move in lumber prices has most certainly taken virtually all market watchers by surprise....Read More

Today lead – lead sell call 8f4, Given at price 158.05 CMP 157.40. Only Low Risk taker book 0.65 Points per lot. RISK taker Hold for TGTTIPS ID 8f4 : Mcx Lead Tips - SELL Lead at CMP 158.05 for Target 157.15 - 156.65 with SL Above price 159.10AFTER POST CONTENT Read More