Gold prices steady ahead of Fed decision; weekly weakness noted
Investing.com - Futures linked to Canada’s main stock exchange inched lower on Wednesday, as investors had a muted response to a "framework" trade agreement between the U.S. and China.
By 06:31 ET (10:31 GMT), the S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures contract had dipped by 1 point, or 0.1%.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended higher by 50.51 points, or 0.2%, at 26,426.31 on Tuesday, closing at a level just under a record high logged on Friday.
An uptick in oil prices helped underpin a rise in energy stocks, while the consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors also notched daily gains.
U.S. futures slip
U.S. stock index futures drifted lower Wednesday in a lukewarm reaction to the U.S.-China trade framework, as investors awaited the release of crucial inflation data.
At 05:40 ET (09:40 GMT), Dow Jones Futures fell 83 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 Futures dropped 10 points, or 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures slipped 35 points, or 0.2%.
The main averages on Wall Street ended higher on Tuesday, spurred on by a jump in shares in electric car manufacturer Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA).
The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite gained 0.6%, the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, and the broad-based S&P 500 gained around 0.6%, posting a third straight positive session to trade less than 2% off the high it notched in February.
U.S., China agree to trade framework
U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to a framework for trade negotiations on Tuesday, following two days of high-level talks in London.
The framework will now be presented to Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for approval.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the framework will help resolve the “rare earth and magnets issues,” and that the U.S. will also scale back its chip export restrictions as China increases its rare earth shipments.
However, U.S. and Chinese officials did not provide any definitive cues on what the new trade framework will entail, leaving investors cautious over the potential for future deals, particularly as the previous Geneva agreement dd not hold for long.
Adding more uncertainty, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump’s trade tariffs, specifically his “liberation day” duties, can remain in place as it reviews an earlier order that blocked the tariffs.
The ruling allows one of Trump’s flagship economic policies to remain, heralding more market uncertainty over the economic impact of the tariffs.
May CPI release due
The focus was now on key CPI inflation data due on Wednesday, which is expected to show a mild pick-up in price pressures in May.
The Labor Department’s consumer price index is tipped to speed up slightly to 2.5% from 2.3%, while the month-on-month gauge is expected to match April’s pace of 0.2%. Stripping out more volatile items like food and fuel, the index is seen edging up to 2.9% year-over year and 0.3% on a monthly basis.
Despite Trump’s decision to delay elevated "reciprocal" levies on most countries, universal 10% duties, as well as heightened trade taxes on items like steel and aluminum, remain in effect. Meanwhile, analysts have noted that the effective U.S. tariff rate has risen sharply since Trump’s return to office in January.
Gold climbs
Gold prices rose as a court ruling allowing Trump’s tariffs to remain in place largely offset optimism over progress in trade talks with China.
Safe haven demand also grew in anticipation of the key U.S. consumer price index inflation data.
The U.S. and China announced a framework agreement for trade, sparking some risk-on moves in Asia. But gold’s advance was limited by a U.S. appeals court ruling to keep Trump’s trade tariffs in place, at least until it decides on an earlier trade court decision that sought to block the levies.
Spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,332.41 an ounce, while gold futures for August added 0.3% to $3,352.25/oz by 06:44 ET.
Oil ticks higher after trade talks
Elsewhere, oil prices advanced, with traders digesting the outcome of the U.S.-China trade talks as well as the release of weekly U.S. crude inventories.
At 06:40 ET, Brent futures had gained 1.3% to $67.71 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 1.5% to $65.94 per barrel.
Both benchmarks posted their highest levels since April during the previous session.
The prospect of a U.S.-China trade deal has helped reduce demand concerns, with free-flowing trade expected to boost global economic activity and thus crude demand.
The weekly U.S. oil inventories report from the Energy Information Administration is due later in the session, and follows the American Petroleum Institute reporting that crude stocks fell by 370,000 barrels last week.