Precious metals start 2026 strong on rate-cut optimism, global risks
Precious metals kicked off the New Year on a strong note on Friday, rebounding from year-end declines as tensions between major powers and US rate cut hopes boosted investor appetite for bullion, reports Reuters.Spot gold climbed nearly 2 per cent to $4,397.66 per ounce, as of 1102 GMT, after hitting...
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OPEC+ to maintain oil output policy amid Saudi-UAE tensions over Yemen
DUBAI/LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters): OPEC+ will likely maintain steady oil output at its meeting on Sunday, three OPEC+ delegates said on Friday, despite political tensions running high between key members Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen.Sunday's meeting of eight members of OPEC+, which pumps about half the world's oil,...
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Oil steadies after biggest annual loss since 2020
LONDON, Jan 2 (Reuters): Oil prices steadied on the first day of trade in 2026 after registering their biggest annual loss since 2020 as investors weighed oversupply concerns against geopolitical risks including the war in Ukraine and Venezuela exports.Brent crude futures dropped 27 cents on Friday to $60.58 a barrel...
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Drugmakers raise US prices on 350 medicines despite pressure from Trump
NEW YORK, Jan 2 (Reuters): Drugmakers plan to raise US prices on at least 350 branded medications including vaccines against COVID, RSV and shingles and blockbuster cancer treatment Ibrance, even as the Trump administration pressures them for cuts, according to data provided exclusively by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors.The...
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Malaysian palm oil starts 2026 on weak note
JAKARTA, Jan 2 (Reuters): Malaysian palm oil futures fell and booked a weekly drop on Friday, their first trading session of 2026, as traders digested sluggish export data from cargo surveyors and awaited December production figures for further price guidance. The benchmark palm oil contract for March delivery on the...
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India expects colder January, lifting winter crop prospects
MUMBAI, Jan 2 (Reuters): India is set to see below-average maximum and minimum temperatures in January, the weather office said on Thursday, raising the prospect of higher yields for key winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas.The country is also likely to experience an above-average number of cold-wave days,...
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