Spot gold rose 0.1% to $1 977.06 an ounce.
Asian stocks fell as volatility gripped global markets from an escalation in tensions in the Middle East, driving oil and gold to further advances.
Oil traded over the $90-a-barrel mark and gold approached the $2,000-an-ounce level following a report US bases in Iraq and Syria were targeted in drone attacks. Investors were also on edge after an American destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted cruise missiles and drones fired toward Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Currency markets remain on tenterhooks as Japan’s finance minister Shunichi Suzuki said it was important the yen moved stably and in line with fundamentals, just as the currency approached 150 per dollar. Eyes will also be focused on unscheduled Bank of Japan bond buying operations should the 10-year yield reach 0.85%. Earlier, markets largely shrugged off Japan’s inflation that slid below 3% for the first time in more than a year.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Asia stocks extend losses as treasury yields rise: Markets wrapBitcoin fell 0.2% to $28 212.56
Read more »
Markets fall again and oil rises on Middle East, Fed fearsAsian markets fell and oil prices extended gains Friday on worries that an expected ground invasion of Gaza by Israel will spark a wider conflict in the Middle East. The likelihood of a Middle East war has sent oil prices surging and both contracts extended the week's gains Friday, rising almost one percent in Asian trade.
Read more »
Ghana’s SecondSTAX in talks with BRVM to integrate West African stock marketsSecondSTAX CEO Eugene Tawiah wants to give institutional investors a one-stop shop covering Africa.
Read more »
Markets in retreat on growing fears of Middle East warAsian markets tumbled Thursday on fears the Israel-Hamas crisis would spill over into a wider conflict in the Middle East, with some warning that a full-blown war was increasingly likely. 'The window for a diplomatic off-ramp to avert a wider war in the Middle East appears to be closing,' said RBC Capital Markets' Helima Croft.
Read more »
Emerging markets under heavy pressure as conflict escalatesStocks fell to the lowest in more than a week as a wave of risk aversion gripped markets as traders worried about an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
Read more »
Netflix hikes prices in key marketsNetflix increased subscription prices for some streaming plans on Wednesday as it reported strong subscriber growth.
Read more »