Major commodity markets rose recently on the back of rising US stocks. The stock market has benefited from strong earnings reports and positive European economic data that assuaged investor fears about the Eurozone debt crisis.
JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 5: Federal Reserve System Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks to an economics class at the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida November 5, 2010. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
Also supporting the futures markets was German business sentiment which rose for the sixth month in a row during April, to its highest since July 2011.
The gold CFDs market ended nearly flat in thin trade as investors took to the sidelines ahead of a key US options expiration and a Federal Reserve policy meeting. The metal, which has tended to follow riskier assets, inched down despite the usually bullish factors of a weaker dollar, an oil rally and gains in US equities on better-than-expected corporate results.
Gold has lost around $150 an ounce since late February after a strong run of US economic data dashed hopes of further monetary easing by the Fed.
While gold is still 5% higher for the year-to-date, US equities, measured by the S&P 500 index, have risen 10% so far this year. Note that investors can speculate on both gold and the US stock market with futures companies like I.G. and InterTrader UK.
Gold is struggling for direction as buyers await the outcome of IMF/World Bank semi-annual meetings, which will discuss plans to tackle the Eurozone debt crisis. On top of that investors are also waiting for the Federal Reserve’s forthcoming meeting on US monetary policy.
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