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Sectors
Update: Gold Falls As Dollar and Yields Rise as Iran Again Closes the Strait of Hormuz
(Updates prices.)Gold traded lower early on Monday as the dollar rose while hopes for an end to the war on Iran faded after Iran on Friday opened and then closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up oil prices and the dollar on worries over higher inflation and interest rates.Gold for May delivery was last seen down US$51.80 to US$4,827.80 per ounce.Gold rose on Friday after Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for 20% of daily global oil demand supplied by Persian Gulf nations. However, later it again refused to permit transit through the waterway as the United States declined to end its blockade of Iran's ports.The United States is sending negotiators to Pakistan for peace talks. While Iran has not confirmed it will attend h after the U.S. Navy disabled and seized a Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf over the weekend. However the Wall Street Journal reported it informed Pakistan it will send a team of to the talks. A ceasefire between the two countries ends tomorrow, with U.S. President Trump again threatening to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure unless a deal is reached.The closure of the Strait has produced the largest-ever energy supply shock, pushing up physical oil prices along with gasoline and diesel costs and causing widespread shortages of aviation fuel, raising inflation and concerns central banks will need to hike interest rates in response."The latest weakness has been driven by renewed dollar strength and fresh concerns about energy-led inflation. Gold and silver, like many other commodities, remain highly sensitive to developments in the Middle East given the knock-on impact on the dollar, bond yields, and US rate expectations," Saxo Bank wrote in a note to clients.The dollar weakened, with the ICE dollar index last seen down 0.2 points to 98.07. Treasury yields were higher, with the U.S. two-year note last seen paying 3.725%, up 1.3 basis points, while the yield on the 10-year note was up 0.4 points to 4.255%.
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Sectors
Sector Update: Energy Stocks Higher Monday Afternoon
Energy stocks were higher Monday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 0.7%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was decreasing 0.3%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was steady.In sector news, oil prices rose Monday following an apparent flare-up between the US and Iran ahead of the expiration of their ceasefire agreement this week. Oil prices had plunged on Friday as Iran declared that the Strait of Hormuz was open, a key US demand. Tehran, however, took back control of the waterway on Saturday. Both sides have accused each other of violating a two-week ceasefire that is due to expire Tuesday.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil jumped 6.8% to $89.56 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract popped 5.9% to $95.72 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures increased 0.9% to $2.70 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, USA Rare Earth (USAR) on Monday agreed to acquire Brazilian rare earths miner Serra Verde in a cash-and-stock deal with an equity value of about $2.8 billion, as the critical minerals producer aims to boost its rare earth operations. USA Rare Earth shares jumped past 8%.Eni (E) and Repsol have reached a deal with the Venezuelan government to begin exporting natural gas from the country's Perla field in the Gulf of Venezuela, shipping the fuel in the form of liquefied natural gas from a floating terminal, Bloomberg reported. Separately, Eni said it has made a gas discovery in the Kutei Basin off the coast of Indonesia. Eni shares rose 1%.Sable Offshore (SOC) shares added 0.4% after it said capital expenditure across its assets is expected to be around $180 million from April through December this year.
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Australia
Northcoast Research Cuts Tractor Supply Price Target to $60 From $65, Maintains Buy Rating
Tractor Supply (TSCO) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $56.36, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $44.62, Change: $-0.39, Percent Change: -0.87%
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