Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens tomorrow, March 8. Overall, Kroger stock has had a relatively muted year on the charts, having pulled back to trade just below its 2017 year-end close at $27.45, despite touching an annual high of $31.45 on Jan. 30. If past is precedent, though, the grocery stock could be gearing up for a big move following...Read More

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. economy is on track to expand at a 2.8 percent annualized rate in the first quarter following data on domestic vehicle sales in February and trade balance in January, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow forecast model showed on Wednesday.The latest estimate on gross domestic product was slower than the 3.5 percent growth pace calculated on March 1, the Atlanta Fed sa...Read More

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Wednesday that he is “not sure” President Trump has finished making up his mind on levying tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.The President wants to protect American workers against countries that engage in unfair trade practices, Perry said, in remarks on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference. He added: “...Read More

LUXEMBOURG/GENEVA (Reuters) - Europe and the IMF urged Donald Trump on Wednesday to step back from the brink of a trade war, after the resignation of his economic adviser emboldened those encouraging him to push ahead with tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.The departure of Gary Cohn, seen as a bulwark against Trump’s economic nationalism, hit shares, oil and the dollar, as investors saw...Read More

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain’s links to defense and security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Britain’s Queen Elizabeth for lunch at the start of a high profile visit to London.A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Princ...Read More

Canada's gold output will increase in the next five years to more than 300 tonnes annually, an 80% growth from current levels, research firm Wood Mackenzie said Wednesday.The rise in production would make the nation the world's second-largest bullion producing country, behind China, Vince Madden-Scott, manager of gold cost services at UK-based research firm said.Speaking at the 2018 Prospectors &...Read More

Canada's gold output will increase in the next five years to more than 300 tonnes annually, an 80% growth from current levels, research firm Wood Mackenzie said Wednesday.The rise in production would make the nation the world's second-largest bullion producing country, behind China, Vince Madden-Scott, manager of gold cost services at UK-based research firm said.Speaking at the 2018 Prospectors &a...Read More

Editor's Note: Gold and silver has been, at best, a frustrating trade. Exclusive to Kitco News, expert trader, Todd "Bubba" Horwitz, chief market strategist and founder of 'Bubba Trading provides a strategy investors can use in a range-bound gold price environment. Sign up before March 10 for the Kitco News Weekly Rundown newsletter to receive Horwitz's exclusive report and trading strategy.(Kitco...Read More

(Note story contains language that may offend some readers)By Katharine HoureldNAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flew to Ethiopia at the start of his first diplomatic trip to Africa on Wednesday, seeking to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to China for aid and trade.He was due to visit the African Union where many officials are still smarting f...Read More

Gold closes in on a confirmed immediate-term breakout signal.This time around, silver is (thankfully) leading the way.Dollar weakness, not safety buying, is the prime motivating factor.After spending the last few weeks in a lackluster sideways trend, the gold price is finally showing signs of life again after last week's brief scare. Encouragingly, gold showed strength on Tuesday even despite a li...Read More

LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Wednesday that financial services should be at the heart of a new trade deal and the European Union should drop its tough stance on limiting the sector’s market access after Brexit.In a rebuff to Britain, the EU’s draft guidelines for a trade deal released on Wednesday will only offer financial services firms in London...Read More

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Republican lawmakers in the tightest congressional races are changing their message on guns, expressing new support for restrictions after last month’s high school shooting in Florida, according to a Reuters review of the candidates’ public statements.Eleven Republican incumbents face elections in 2018 widely seen as toss-ups or leaning against the...Read More

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has set the threshold at which it can intervene in response to foreign investments in German companies too high and may have to think about lowering it, a senior official in the economy ministry said on Wednesday.Berlin tightened controls on foreign investments last year after a series of high-profile takeovers in Germany by Chinese firms, by extending a 25...Read More

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings before tomorrow's open. Ahead of the event, the shares hit a four-year high of $20.83 out of the gate on tailwinds from a positive reaction to Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) earnings, and were last seen up 0.3% at $20.54. The options market is expecting a volatile day of trading for the retail stock tomorrow, pricing in...Read More

* Estimated mine value has fallen to $400 mln -sources* Sale prospects complicated by new mining code in DRC* ERG aims to reduce $6 bln debt burdenBy Clara Denina and Dasha AfanasievaLONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - Debt-laden Kazakh miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has revived efforts to sell its Frontier copper mine in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite a drop in valuation to about $400 m...Read More

* Estimated mine value has fallen to $400 mln -sources* Sale prospects complicated by new mining code in DRC* ERG aims to reduce $6 bln debt burdenBy Clara Denina and Dasha AfanasievaLONDON, March 7 (Reuters) - Debt-laden Kazakh miner Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) has revived efforts to sell its Frontier copper mine in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite a drop in valuation to about $400 m...Read More

   •  Struggles to gain traction, despite supportive factors.   •  Traders opt to take some profits off the table.   •  US ADP report eyed for some fresh trading impetus. Gold extended its steady retracement slide from 1-1/2 week lows and traded with a mild negative bias through the mid-European session. Reviving fears of a possible globa...Read More

(Kitco News)- One mining analyst said that hethinks the threat of a global trade war is overblown and investors shouldinstead look at all the good President Donald Trump has done for the mining sector,particularly for companies focused in the U.S.Mickey Fulp, creator of theMercenary Geologist newsletter, said in an interview with Kitco News on thesidelines of the 2018 Prospectors & Developers...Read More

(Kitco News) - One mining analyst said that he thinks the threat of a global trade war is overblown and investors should instead look at all the good President Donald Trump has done for the mining sector, particularly for companies focused in the U.S.Mickey Fulp, creator of the Mercenary Geologist newsletter, said in an interview with Kitco News on the sidelines of the 2018 Prospectors & Devel...Read More

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union on Wednesday offered Britain a free trade agreement for their post-Brexit relationship that fell well short of ambitions set out by Prime Minister Theresa May last week, notably for the key financial sector.A draft position of the remaining 27 EU members said the bloc was determined to foster a close partnership with Britain, but its depth would be limited b...Read More