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Markets await US PCE price index, Q3 GDP data this weekPalladium up 3%Oct 23 (Reuters) - Safe-haven gold eased on Monday, hitting pause after jumping to within striking distance of the key $2,000 level in the last session, as traders positioned for further developments on the Middle East conflict and U.S. economic data.Spot gold fell 0.3% to $1,976.19 per ounce by 1:41 p.m. ET (1741 GMT). U.S. gold futures settled 0.3% lower at $1,987.80.Reuters Graphics"Safe-haven demand will continue to drive gold higher after a slight period of consolidation. We believe...

A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023.  REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The United States issued sanctions on Wednesday aimed at disrupting funding for the Hamas militant group after its deadly attack in Israel, singling out people involved in its investment portfolio and a Gaza-based cryptocurrency exchange among other targets.The sanctions, announced as President Joe Biden visited Israel in a show of support, targeted nine individuals and one entity in...

LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - With the U.S. economy roaring at a faster pace than China and global politics increasingly hard to fathom, there's a feeling the best bet in town is to stick with U.S. stocks regardless of relative valuations.After another forecast-busting U.S. retail and industrial readings for last month, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's real-time economic growth estimate hit an annualised 5.4%, more than a point higher than China's equivalent.And all against a murkier international backdrop.The Gaza crisis throws yet another geopolitical imponderable into an already crowded and confusing...

Oct 13 (Reuters) - As big U.S. corporations kicked off corporate earnings season this week, executives addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict and some companies launched fundraising efforts."I just want to say how deeply saddened that we all are about the recent horrific attacks on Israel ... Terrorism and hatred have no place in our civilized world," JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon said on a post-earnings call before diving into results.He warned that the war in Ukraine, compounded by the attacks on Israel, could have "far-reaching impacts on energy and food...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 12, 2023. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTEL AVIV/WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday that Iran would not gain access any time soon to $6 billion in Iranian funds parked in a Qatar bank last month as part of a prisoner exchange and that Washington retained the right to completely freeze the account.The question of Iranian access to the funds has been in the spotlight since Iran-backed Palestinian...