Gold projects are no longer the favourite destination of private capital raised for investment in the mining sector as optimism about electric vehicle demand steer funds into battery metals.Private-equity deals in the mining industry bounced back in 2017 according to a new report by UK law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner with investment in the sector jumping by more than 30% to $2.3 billion.43% of fu...Read More

Gold projects are no longer the favourite destination of private capital raised for investment in the mining sector as optimism about electric vehicle demand steer funds into battery metals.Private-equity deals in the mining industry bounced back in 2017 according to a new report by UK law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner with investment in the sector jumping by more than 30% to $2.3 billion.43% of fu...Read More

* ISM services sector index jumps 3.9 points in January* New orders index surges 8.2 points* Services sector employment index vaults 5.3 points By Lucia MutikaniWASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. services sector activity raced to a near 12-1/2-year high in January, buoyed by robust growth in new orders, the latest sign of strong momentum in the economy at the start of the year.Economic growth is...Read More

* Wells Fargo falls after Fed's unprecedented action* Qualcomm falls on report of Apple dumping co in favor of Intel* Indexes down: Dow 0.90 pct, S&P 0.72 pct, Nasdaq 0.42 pct (Updates to early afternoon)By Tanya AgrawalFeb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were trading lower in early afternoon on Monday as bond yields continued to hover near multi-year highs and losses in energy and financial stocks...Read More

(Kitco News) - Although it seems like the U.S. dollar’sdeclines are slowing down, one analyst says commodity investors should not betoo concerned. The U.S. currency, which tends to tradeinversely with commodities like gold, has been making a bit of a comebacklately -- after seeing its worse year “in history” since 2004 -- holdingsupport as some analysts calling for a bounce in...Read More

(Kitco News) - Although it seems like the U.S. dollar’s declines are slowing down, one analyst says commodity investors should not be too concerned. The U.S. currency, which tends to trade inversely with commodities like gold, has been making a bit of a comeback lately -- after seeing its worse year “in history” since 2004 -- holding support as some analysts calling for a bounc...Read More

Dow component Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is slated to report earnings after the close tomorrow, Feb. 6. Perhaps due to DIS stock's upbeat earnings reaction last quarter, options traders have been loading up on calls ahead of the event. Below, we'll take a closer look at Disney shares, and see how speculators have been positioning themselves ahead of earnings.On the charts, the security is up n...Read More

While we watched the SuperBowl last night we were also watching the Gold market for signs that the buying we believed was looming in the $1330 area did not chicken out. In previous posts we had gone from saying that $1330 was important technically, on a volatility basis, and because we had good reason to believe that there was buying in that area.WE also handicapped that a move to $140...Read More

MILAN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Credito Fondiario, an Italian bad loan specialist that in late 2017 backed a vital capital raising at Banca Carige , has liquidated its 5.4 percent stake in the lender, a regulatory filing showed.Market regulator Consob said on Monday Panfilo Tarantelli, founder and CEO of Tages Group, a London-based investment firmwhich controls Credito Fondario, had sold his entire stake...Read More

(Bloomberg) - The Democratic Republic of Congo will seek greater control of the global cobalt market by engaging directly with car and battery manufacturers, according to its largest state-owned mining company."I find it scandalous that when cobalt is discussed, and the explosion of electric vehicles, only the traders and consumers are referenced and Congo and Gecamines are not cited," Gecamines...Read More

(Kitco News)- Momentum continuesto shift in the gold market as hedge funds kept their exposure to gold andsilver materially unchanged last week, according to the latest trade data fromthe Commodities Futures Trading Commission.”Many analysts havewarned that the gold’s overstretched market is on the cusp of a much-neededconsolidation period, and speculative interest in the yellow metal...Read More

(Updates prices)* Biggest 2-day drop in more than six months* Graphic: Trade-weighted sterling since Brexit vote By Saikat ChatterjeeLONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Sterling fell 0.7 percent on Monday as surveys showing a slowing British economy and negative news around Brexit negotiations sapped investor confidence in a busy week for the central bank.Financial data firm IHS Markit said on Monday growt...Read More

(Kitco News) - Momentum continues to shift in the gold market as hedge funds kept their exposure to gold and silver materially unchanged last week, according to the latest trade data from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.”Many analysts have warned that the gold’s overstretched market is on the cusp of a much-needed consolidation period, and speculative interest in the yellow...Read More

(Writes through)FRANKFURT, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank raised its purchases of company debt in January while slashing its buying of government bonds, ECB data showed on Monday, in a sign that the focus of its huge stimulus programme may be shifting.Aimed at lowering borrowing costs for companies, the ECB's purchases of corporate bonds have been criticised by some European lawmaker...Read More

(In Feb 2 item, corrects figure in paragraph 11 to "$1.5 trillion" from "$1.5 billion".)* Nonfarm payrolls increase by 200,000 in January* Unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1 percent* Average hourly earnings rise 0.3 percent* Average hourly earnings increase 2.9 percent year-on-year By Lucia MutikaniWASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. job growth surged in January and wages incr...Read More

* GRAPHIC-2018 asset returns: * LME/ShFE arb: (Adds official midday prices)By Maytaal AngelLONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Copper hit a three-week high on Monday as the dollar rally paused and the balance of supply and demand looked to stay relatively tight, while nickel climbed after posting its largest daily loss in two months on Friday.The dollar remained mired near three-year lows as resurgent U.S....Read More

Neil Ritson, chief executive of Solo Oil PLC (LON:SOLO), discusses with Proactive the findings from the recently completed CPR which reveals a major upgrade to the gas resources at the Ntorya project in Tanzania.It follows the Ntorya-2 appraisal well success and an assessment of well testing.Ntorya's contingent gas resource has now risen to 762.8bn cubic feet of gas, comprising 80.6bn cubic feet o...Read More

MONTEVIDEO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Consumer prices in Uruguay rose 2.71 percent in January, bringing the 12-month inflation rate to 6.67 percent, the government's National Statistics Institute said on Monday.The central bank targets annual inflation of between 3-7 percent. Consumer prices rose a total of 6.55 percent in full-year 2017. (Reporting by Eloisa Capurro; Writing by Luc Cohen) Disclaimer: Th...Read More

* Gecamines wants renegotiations to start in second quarter* Congo is Africa's biggest miner of cobalt, copper* Foreign investors raise concern about new mining law (Updates with comments from interview, Ivanhoe reaction)By Barbara LewisCAPE TOWN, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's state mining company Gecamines said on Monday it wanted to start renegotiating contracts with its inter...Read More

WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday it respected Larry Lindsey's decision to withdraw from consideration as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board."We respect Dr. Lindsey's decision to withdraw his name from consideration at this time. As one of the nation's leading economic policy experts, Dr. Lindsey has been a valuable resource to the Administration. We wish him t...Read More