Live stock market updates: Asia-Pacific stocks fell slightly, Nikkei closed for holidays

Commodities market live updates: Gold prices flat ahead of Fed meeting

Gold prices held steady as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting and potential interest rate decision. Spot gold was trading at $1,924.29 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures were steady at $1,946.10 an ounce. The SPDR Gold Trust reported a slight increase in its holdings, while speculators reduced their net long positions in COMEX gold. Meanwhile, spot silver, platinum and palladium were trading mixed. – Reuters

Commodities Market Live Updates: Supply shortage forecasts and recovering Chinese demand drive oil prices higher

Oil prices edged higher as Saudi Arabia and Russia extended production cuts, raising the prospect of supply shortages in the fourth quarter. Optimism about a recovery in demand from China, supported by stimulus policies and strong U.S. economic data, drove prices higher. Brent crude futures rose 5 cents to $93.98 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 15 cents to $90.92 a barrel. Both benchmarks have surged for three straight weeks to their highest levels since November and are on track for their biggest quarterly gains since early 2022. – Reuters

Asian markets get off to a slow start in a crowded central bank week

Asian stocks opened cautiously on Monday, ahead of a week filled with central bank meetings including the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan, with the outlook for global interest rates set to be closely watched.

In early Asian trading, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures both rose 0.2%.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.1% after rising 1.2% last week. Japan’s Nikkei stock index was closed for a holiday. – read more