* Stock markets globally start 2018 on cheerful note* S&P cruises past 2,700 as tech stocks advance* Dollar up after strong U.S. data, ahead of Fed minutes (Updates with reaction to Fed minutes; adds commentary)By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar extended gains against key currencies on Wednesday after the release of minutes from last month's Federal Reserve meeting,...Read More

Editor's Note: Carley Garner, president of DeCarley Trading, provided exclusive commentary for Kitco News' 2018 Outlook Series.(Kitco News)- Gold and silver have taken a backseat to Bitcoin-mania,but they are still more relevant assets.Carley Garner, president of DeCarley Trading Bitcoin has dominated the financial news cycle, but inthe long run, this particularcryptocurrency might be more bark th...Read More

Gold rose for a ninth consecutive session Wednesday, settling at its highest since the middle of September, with haven demand for the precious metal supporting prices even as a bruised dollar strengthened. Prices, however, retreated in electronic trading after the release of minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's December monetary policy meeting. February gold GCG8, -0.64% rose $2.40, or 0.2%, t...Read More

As the U.S. stock market carves out record highs, several individual equities are making big moves on high-profile collaborative partnerships. Two such names are former smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd (NYSE:BB) and gene therapy specialist Sangamo Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SGMO). Here's a closer look at what has shares of BB and SGMO gapping higher today.BlackBerry Shorts Could Continue CoveringBlac...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices were moderately lower and hit new daily lows in early afternoon action Wednesday,in the wake of a hawkish FOMC minutes report. Some normal profit taking by theshorter-term futures traders was featured, after recent good gains in gold andsilver. The markets in earlier U.S. trading were in pause modes after gold hita 3.5-month high overnight. Silver prices scored a five-we...Read More

(Kitco News) - Gold prices were moderately lower and hit new daily lows in early afternoon action Wednesday, in the wake of a hawkish FOMC minutes report. Some normal profit taking by the shorter-term futures traders was featured, after recent good gains in gold and silver. The markets in earlier U.S. trading were in pause modes after gold hit a 3.5-month high overnight. Silver prices scored a fiv...Read More

(Kitco News)- The gold market has pushed into negative territory inlate-afternoon activity after the minutes of the December Federal Open MarketCommittee meeting revealed ongoing concerns over low inflation pressures.While the majority of participants supported a rate hike inDecember, the minutes showed a growing divide within the committee and frustrationover the mystery of low inflation. The Min...Read More

(Kitco News) - The gold market has pushed into negative territory in late-afternoon activity after the minutes of the December Federal Open Market Committee meeting revealed ongoing concerns over low inflation pressures.While the majority of participants supported a rate hike in December, the minutes showed a growing divide within the committee and frustration over the mystery of low inflation. Th...Read More

Mike van Dulken, Head of Research at Accendo Markets talks us through retail giant Next's Christmas sales figures and explains why investors have had such a rollercoaster ride over recent times. We chat about bricks and mortar operations versus online sales and try to peer into the marketplace crystal ball for Next's upcoming Jan sales and indeed the end of year results, due in March.  Meet C...Read More

Editor's Note: View Kitco News' full 2018 outlook coverage(Kitco News) - Gold’s performance since the last Federal Reserve rate hike in December has been impressive and Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts the rally to continue, with the precious metal looking to beat bitcoin and the U.S. dollar in 2018.“The only currency not subject to parabolic supply increases - gold - should continue t...Read More

Editor's Note: View Kitco News' full 2018 outlook coverage(Kitco News) - Gold’s performance since the last Federal Reserve rate hike in December has been impressive and Bloomberg Intelligence forecasts the rally to continue, with the precious metal looking to beat bitcoin and the U.S. dollar in 2018.“The only currency not subject to parabolic supply increases - gold - should continue t...Read More

The mumbling tune of Auld Lang Syne lingers, though the hangovers have by now subsided, nonetheless, the early New Year schedule remains holiday-like.Indeed there are no particularly notable marks in the diary, the most interesting being an AGM for Cambria Automobiles Plc (LON:CAMB) and a couple of stocks going ex-dividend.The more worthwhile matters in the agenda are the economic, and even then t...Read More

A senior official in the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said that ISIS was likely plotting attacks on Libya's strategic oil crescent. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, AFRICOM spokeswoman Robyn Mack said: "At the moment, we believe that the orRead full newsRead More

Almost 80 percent of battery-powered vehicles in the U.S. are leased, not owned.Read full newsRead More

Kaohsiung oil trader chartered tanker.A Kaohsiung oil trader was freed on bail Wednesday for forgery in the chartering of a tanker smuggling oil to North Korea.Read full newsRead More

China's PBOC called for rectifying irregularities in electricity use of some bitcoin mining fields, and during a closed-door meeting, discussed limiting the power use of bitcoin mining.Read full newsRead More

Like the value of individual cryptocurrencies, the total market cap of the crypto market has spiked higher in recent months.Read full newsRead More

   •  Goodish USD rebound prompts some early profit-taking.   •  Fading safe-haven demand adds to the downward pressure.   •  Sliding US bond yields lend immediate support ahead of FOMC minutes. Gold retreated after hitting a 3-1/2 month high and dropped to an intraday low near $1312, albeit has managed to recover majority of its lost gro...Read More

Gold moved visibly higher during the first session of the year and this time mining stocks accompanied it. In fact, it seems that they are back on the track after a short pause. What's the likely reason behind this year's rally and what does it imply going forward?Let's jump right into the mining stock charts (chart courtesy of http://stockcharts.com).Gold stocks indeed broke above the rising supp...Read More

The U.S. stock market is pushing further into record-high territory today, despite some alarming tweets overnight from President Donald Trump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) have each touched all-time peaks, with the healthcare and tech sectors leading the charge once again. Plus, the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing i...Read More