IBT:Gold, Global Stocks Higher; U.S. Economy Credited
Gold prices rose Friday, poised to extend their record 10-year bull run into an 11th year, despite huge losses in September and December that still left the yellow metal with a more than 10 percent gain this year.
Industrial commodities also increased, as did equities. Asian stocks were generally higher with the Hang Seng and Straits Times posting gains, while the Nikkei 225 retreated modestly.
In Europe, all major equity indexes climbed: The Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.46 percent, Germany's DAX added 0.32 percent and France's CAC 40 rose 0.90 percent. In the U.S., futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500 were all higher, signaling stocks were expected to rise.
