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Update: Gold Trading at a Two-Month Low Even as Falling Oil Prices Ease Inflation Concerns
(Updates prices.)Gold fell to a two-month low early on Wednesday, even as the dollar dipped as oil prices weakened ahead of an expected deal to end the war on Iran, easing inflation worries.Gold for July delivery was last seen down US$52.6 to US$4,482.40 per ounce, the lowest since March 26.The precious metal has remained well below its Jan. 28 record high as investors turned to the dollar as oil prices surged after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a fifth of daily oil demand supplied by Persian Gulf nations.However oil prices have retreated from four-year highs touched last month on expectations Iran and the United States will soon end hostilities amid talks in Qatar and reopen the Strait, easing the inflation worries that have supported the dollar and pushed up treasury yields, both bearish for gold."Gold fell alongside US bond yields on Tuesday as the prospect of a Middle East peace deal weighed on oil prices, thereby easing inflation concerns. In addition, a powerful global equity rally, led by chipmakers, has reduced near-term demand for defensive assets such as gold," Saxo Bank noted.The dollar edged higher, with the ICE dollar index last seen up 0.08 points to 98.24. Treasury yields edged down, with the U.S. two-year note last seen paying 4.045%, down 0.1 basis points, while the yield on the 10-year note was down 0.4 points to 4.489%.
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Sectors
Sector Update: Financial Stocks Decline Wednesday Afternoon
Financial stocks fell in Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index declining 0.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) shedding 0.8%.The Philadelphia Housing Index rose 1.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) gained 0.1%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 1.6% to $74,905, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was little changed at 4.49%.In economic news, Redbook US same-store sales last week jumped 9% from a year earlier after an 8.1% gain in the prior week.The Dallas Federal Reserve's monthly general business services index improved to minus 7.7 in May from minus 9.9 in April, versus the expected minus 6.0.The Richmond Fed's monthly manufacturing index rose to 13 in May from 3 in April, more than the 4 estimate in a Bloomberg survey.In corporate news, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said at a conference that acquisition opportunities may emerge in the next couple of years. "We have great businesses and we want to continue to build them," Dimon said, according to a transcript. "But I do think there might be in the next couple of years a chance to put $10 billion or $20 billion to work buying something." JPMorgan shares fell 3%.Robinhood (HOOD) is launching Agentic Trading and Agentic Credit Card, new tools that let users deploy AI agents to trade and make credit purchases on their behalf. The shares rose 1.9%.Carlyle (CG) introduced a middle-market aerospace, defense, and industrial investment platform focusing on deals in the US and Europe. The shares rose 0.5%.
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Sectors
Sector Update: Energy Stocks Retreat in Afternoon Trading
Energy stocks declined Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index falling 1.1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) decreasing 0.8%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index slumped 2.7%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index shed 0.5%.In sector news, the memorandum of understanding being negotiated between Tehran and Washington will call for US forces to withdraw from Iran's vicinity and lift the blockade of Iranian ports in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels, CNN reported, citing Iranian state television. The US denied claims that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could return to normal within a month of the Iran deal, Bloomberg reported.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was falling 4.8% to $89.40 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was dropping 4.5% to $95.14 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 4.4% to $3.02 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, TotalEnergies (TTE) is facing a dispute with Mozambique over about $2 billion in costs tied to delays at its liquefied natural gas project in the country, Bloomberg reported. TotalEnergies shares fell 2.5%.Chevron (CVX) shareholders have rejected a proposal put forth at the company's annual general meeting that would have required appointing an independent board chair separate from the chief executive officer, Reuters reported, citing preliminary voting results. Chevron shares were down 0.9%.DTE Energy (DTE) shares added 0.3% after it said Wednesday it will invest $1.6 billion to develop Michigan-made battery energy storage systems statewide in collaboration with LG Energy Solution Vertech.
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