Gold ends with a gain as traders mull Fed comments

SAN FRANCISCO, MarketWatch (10/12) — Gold futures settled a bit higher on Monday, rebounding after losses over the past two trading sessions, as traders mulled the timing of a pullback in the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program following the latest comments from central bank officials. Gold for February delivery tacked on $5.20, or 0.4%, to settle at $1,234.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. March silver closed up 18 cents, or 0.9%, at $19.70 an ounce. In a speech Monday, Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank, said the Fed will discuss pulling back its asset purchase program at its meeting next week. Separately, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said the best move may be a small December taper. Gold prices briefly added to gains after news of the Fed comments, then pared gains again before Comex prices settled for Monday’s regular trading session. The central bank’s bond-buying program, also known as quantitative easing, has helped support gold prices. The program contributed to a weaker dollar, which in turn buoyed prices for dollar-denominated gold. But “gold’s price gains over the last two sessions, in the face of news indicating that a QE taper may come sooner rather than later, may mean that the metal has finally priced in such an event,” said Brien Lundin, editor of Gold Newsletter. “In short, we may have run out of sellers.” “And with the bearish side of the boat so overcrowded, the gold market appears primed for a significant short-covering rebound,” he said. News that Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, backed tapering the central bank’s QE program “at the earliest opportunity,” emerged after the close of gold trading on Comex. Prices for February gold in electronic trading climbed above the settlement price shortly after — to $1,236.30 an ounce. Bullard also indicated that the Fed could pause tapering if inflation falls — “indicating they haven’t forgotten their dual mandate,” said Colin Cieszynski, senior market analyst at CMC Markets. “They won’t taper at any cost and won’t let deflation take hold.” Fisher’s comments, along with Lacker’s and Bullard’s, are the last official comments from the central bank until after its Dec. 17-18 policy committee meeting.

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 8:51 AM

S&P 500 Rises to Record as Investors Weigh Fed Plans

Bloomberg (10/12) -- U.S. stocks rose, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to a fresh record, as investors weighed the timing of any cuts to Federal Reserve monetary support amid budget negotiations in Washington. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2 percent to 1,808.56 at 4 p.m. in New York, surpassing its previous record of 1,807.23 set on Nov. 27. the Dow Jones industrial average edged up 5.52 points, or 0.03 percent, to finish unofficially at 16,025.72. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 3.28 points, or 0.18 percent, to close unofficially at 1,808.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 6.23 points, or 0.15 percent, to end unofficially at 4,068.75. The S&P 500 gained 1.1 percent on Dec. 6, halting a five-day slump that erased 1.2 percent from the gauge, as jobs growth in November beat estimates and the unemployment rate fell to a five-year low. The index fell less than 0.1 percent last week, snapping an eight-week rally that was the longest in almost a decade, as improving economic data spurred concern that the Fed will reduce its stimulus sooner than expected.

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 8:49 AM

Ekspor & Inflasi Membaik, Saham China Naik

Bloomberg (09/12) – Saham-saham China naik, perpanjang gain pada pekan lalu, pasca ekspor naik melebihi dari estimasi para ekonom dan inflasi turun dari yang diperkirakan sebelumnya. Indeks Shanghai Composite naik 0.4% sebesar 2,245.93 pukul 9:46 pagi, perpanjang gain pada pekan lalu sebesar 0.8%. Membaiknya data medorong optimisme Perdana Menteri Li Keqiang akan menerapkan reformasi guna meningkatkan peran pasar di ekonomi dan mencapai tujuan akan pengurangan ketergantungan China pada ekspor dengan meningkatkan konsumsi domestik. Indeks CSI 300 naik 0.6% sebesar 2,466.13, sementara indeks Hang Seng China Enterprises naik 1.2%. Indeks Shanghai Composite telah mengalami kenaikan sebesar 4.7% sejak pemerintah berkomitmen mulai tanggal 15 November untuk mengijinkan investasi swasta di sektor pemerintah guna mengendalikan industri dan menghapuskan kebijakan satu anak pada reformasi tersebut dalam dua dekade. (bgs)

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 10:50 AM

Data AS & China Lebihi Estimasi, Saham Hong Kong Naik

Bloomberg (09/12) – Saham-saham Hong Kong naik pada hari kedua pasca data pekerjaan AS dan ekspor China melebihi dari estimasi sebelumnya yang mendorong kepercayaan investor. Indeks Hang Seng naik sebesar 0.7% sebesar 23,903.95 pada pukul 9:41 pagi di Hong Kong, menuju kenaikan harian tertingginya sejak tanggal 18 November lalu. Indeks Hang Seng China Enterprises gain 1.1% sebesar 11,496.35 sejalan dengan China catat surplus perdagangan tertingginya dalam kurun waktu hampir lima tahun terakhir. Indeks Hang Seng naik 20% dari level terendahnya di bulan Juni hingga tanggal 6 Desember ditengah tanda-tanda stabilnya ekonomi China. Indeks acuan tersebut ditransaksikan sebesar 11.3 kali dari estimasi laba pada pekan lalu, dibanding dengan 16.2 pada indeks S&P 500. Indeks saham H, naik 28% dari level terendahnya pada tahun ini di tanggal 25 Juni hingga pekan lalu, perpanjang gain pasca China merilis rencana reformasinya. (bgs)

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 10:49 AM

Dollar Strengthens for Second Day Versus Yen on QE Tapering Bets

Bloomberg (09/12) – The dollar advanced for a second day against the yen before regional Federal Reserve presidents speak amid speculation the U.S. central bank will consider reducing monetary stimulus as early as next week. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, who has said policy makers could taper at this month’s meeting, and Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher will speak separately today. The euro reached a five-year high versus the yen before data forecast to show a pickup in industrial production in Germany, Europe’s largest economy. Australia’s dollar gained for a third day after China trade surplus increased to a four-year high. The dollar added 0.1 percent to 102.97 yen at 11:21 a.m. in Tokyo from Dec. 6, when it jumped 1.1 percent. It touched 103.38 on Dec. 3, the highest since May 23. The greenback was little changed at $1.3708 per euro from $1.3706 at the end of last week. The 17-nation currency gained 0.1 percent to 141.15 yen, after touching 141.55, the strongest since October 2008. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of shares rose 0.8 percent, following a 0.9 percent jump for the MSCI World Index at the end of last week.

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 10:48 AM

Gold clouded by US stimulus doubts; short-covering cushions losses

SINGAPORE, Reuters (09/12) - Gold eased on Monday as markets continued to fret over when the United States would begin tapering its economic stimulus and as stronger equities dented the metal's safe-haven appeal, but short-covering by investors offered some support. Spot gold had fallen 0.2 percent to $1,227.24 an ounce by 0020 GMT. The metal traded in a wide range on Friday, dropping sharply to five-month lows after strong U.S. jobs data but ending the day higher on short-covering. U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in November and the jobless rate hit a five-year low of 7.0 percent, raising chances the Federal Reserve could start ratcheting back its bond-buying stimulus as soon as this month. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, who has been one of the most ardent supporters of the U.S. central bank's stimulus programme, said he was open to curtailing the purchases this month, although he would prefer to wait. SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 3 tonnes to 835.71 tonnes on Friday. Hedge funds and money managers raised their bearish bets in U.S. gold futures and options close to a 7-1/2 year high in the week to Dec. 3, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed. Speculators turned silver into a net short position for the first time since late June. Indian gold imports may fall 70 percent in the final quarter of 2013 from 255 tonnes in the year-ago period and are expected to be half usual levels at 500-550 tonnes next year if new import rules are maintained, a top trade body official said.

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 9:12 AM

Asian Stock Swing From Gains to Losses on Fed Stimulus Outlook

Bloomberg, (06/12) -- Asian stocks swung between gains and losses, with the regional benchmark index set for its biggest weekly drop since August, as improving U.S. economic data fueled speculation the Federal Reserve may bring forward stimulus cuts. Hanjin Shipping Co. dropped 1.7 percent after a report that South Korea’s largest container carrier is among shipping lines being investigated by the European Union for allegedly influencing prices in Europe. Nufarm Ltd. slid 1.4 percent after Credit Suisse Group AG cut its rating for Australia’s top supplier of farm chemicals. Advantest Corp. jumped 6.4 percent on a newspaper report that the Japanese maker of semiconductor equipment’s cost cuts helped reduce its break-even point. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 00.1 percent to 139.63 as of 9:41 a.m. in Tokyo, reversing a loss of 0.1 percent. Fed policy makers meet Dec. 17-18 after minutes of their October gathering showed they may reduce $85 billion of monthly bond buying should the U.S. economy improve as anticipated. The U.S. posted the fastest annualized growth last quarter since the start of 2012 and jobless claims unexpectedly fell as the focus turns to today’s November non-farm payrolls, projected to rise by 185,000 workers. Malaysia publishes trade data today while protesters in Thailand have said they’ll resume rallies. Japan’s Topix index rose 0.3 percent, while South Korea’s Kospi index was little changed. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 0.7 percent percent and New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index slipped 0.5 percent. Markets are yet to open in Hong Kong and China

Written by: Kontak Perkasa Futures

PT.Kontak Perkasa Futures, Updated at: 9:20 AM