“This is a bullish development, and while stretched, should lead to higher gold prices in the days/week ahead,” said Mark Newton, managing member of Newton Advisors. Investors have turned to gold in part because the metal is seen as a hedge against market volatility and economic slowdowns, particularly if they are sparked by geopolitical tensions. “We found that spikes in geopolitical tensions lead to higher gold prices when they are severe enough to cause currency debasement,” Jeff Currie, head

The premium cigar industry is facing a May deadline that requires all new tobacco products to obtain regulatory clearance from the FDA. But the mom-and-pop shops that dominate the premium cigar industry have said the required compliance costs would effectively put them out of business. The premium cigar industry, like the wine industry, relies on releasing new varieties to sustain the interests of its connoisseurs. The news was cautiously welcomed by the premium cigar industry. Spokespeople for

Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro share a moment at the end of a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, June 26, 2019, in Miami. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president on Monday, days after dropping out of the Democratic primary race. “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Elizabe

Needham downgraded the stock but raised its price target to $350 from $280 as it sees Apple transitioning to a “recurring-revenue business model.” “1) AAPL has direct relationships with 900mm of the wealthiest consumers in the world; 2) AAPL is transitioning to a recurring revenue business model, which is driving multiple expansion; 3) AAPL is indifferent to which apps are most popular on its platform; 4) AAPL is a gatekeeper, so it can require rev shares from all apps; 4) AAPL is a pure play on

“A protracted conflict would potentially have global repercussions, in particular through its effect on oil prices,” he added. “A lasting conflict would have wide-ranging implications through broad economic and financial shock that significantly worsen operating and financing conditions,” Moody’s senior analyst Alexander Perjessy wrote in a note to clients Monday. As tensions rise in the Middle East, Moody’s warned on Monday that any sustained clashes could have global economic repercussions. Si

Tankers depicted in the Strait of Hormuz — a strategically important waterway which separates Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. A critical gateway to the world’s oil industry has been thrust back into the global spotlight, following a dramatic escalation in geopolitical tensions since the targeted killing of a top Iranian general. Analysts at Eurasia Group predicted the most likely outcome of Soleimani’s death would be a months-long “escalatory cycle” of tit-for-tat responses in the Middl

Bed Bath & Beyond shares jumped nearly 3% Monday morning after the retailer said it had completed a sale-leaseback transaction with an affiliate of Oak Street Real Estate Capital, netting it $250 million in proceeds. Bed Bath & Beyond said in a press release that the properties it has sold represent about 2.1 million square feet of commercial real estate, which includes stores, office space and a distribution center. Bed Bath & Beyond, which also owns Buy Buy Baby and Harmon drugstores, has roug

White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump attends a discussion on “Women Entrepreneurs Through Finance and Markets” at the World Bank on October 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Olivier Douliery / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)The head of CES defended the organizers’ decision to invite Ivanka Trump as a keynote speaker at the event. With the daughter of and adviser to President Trump set to deliver her keynote address on Tuesday, some have criticized the organizers for

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., smiles while speaking about Apple TV+ during an event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019. Apple came home with no awards and a punch to the gut after the Golden Globe Awards. Comedian Ricky Gervais, who hosted the event Sunday, used Apple’s nominations for “The Morning Show” as an opportunity to skewer the company over its business dealings. “Apple rolled into the TV game with a superb drama about

Sterling could ‘re-weaken’ in the second half of 2020: StrateigstThe British pound could weaken to the high 1.20s against the dollar with concerns over how the U.K. can reach a trade deal in a short space of time, says Seema Shah of Principal Global Investors.

Iranian state TV put the crowd size at “millions,” though that number could not be verified. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself prayed over the caskets of Soleimani and others slain in the attack. Ghaani made his own threat in an interview with Iranian state television aired Monday. In Lebanon, the leader of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said Soleimani’s killing made U.S. military bases, warships and service members across the region fair game for attacks. A forme

Marketing firm Tremor International Ltd said on Monday it agreed to buy video advertising firm Unruly from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The London-listed firm said it would issue about 6.91% of its issued voting share capital to News Corp, the owner of the Wall Street Journal and The Times, to acquire Unruly.

CEOs of the U.K.’s most valuable firms earn 117 times more than the average British worker — meaning they would have already earned a typical worker’s annual salary by the end of Monday, according to new research. London’s FTSE 100 index is comprised of the U.K.’s 100 most valuable public companies. The CIPD found that in just three working days, chief executives of the country’s top firms would take home the U.K.’s median salary of £29,559 ($38,640). According to the report, the average FTSE 10

Head coach Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys looks down after a ruling against them during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Dallas Cowboys will not retain head coach Jason Garrett after 10 seasons, according to Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager of the Cowboys. “We are extremely grateful to Jason Garrett for his more than 20 years of service to the Dallas Cowboys as a player, assistant coach and & head coach,” Jones sa

Stocks set to extend sell-off as Iran vows retaliation for US drone strike1 Hour AgoU.S. stock index futures were sharply lower Monday morning, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. CNBC’s Rahel Solomon reports.

Apple, the top Dow stock in the past year, could have more room to run. One trader says the charts are pointing to even more records for shares even after a 109% rally in 12 months. “I have a price target of $324 out there for Apple,” Bill Baruch, president of Blue Line Capital, said on CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday. Baruch says he’s looking beyond the price action and fundamentals to a below-the-surface technical indicator as a signal of Apple’s next upward swing — the average directional i

Easterbrook and McDonald’s Chief People Officer David Fairhurst often partied with staffers after work hours, according to the Journal. Previous and current McDonald’s employees also told the Journal that Easterbrook allegedly had a reputation for flirting with female employees. The Journal said Fairhurst couldn’t be reached for comment and a representative for Easterbrook told the newspaper he wasn’t available to comment. More than 1,000 McDonald’s employees have responded via a survey. Kempczi

Majid Saeedi | Getty ImagesBeijing is urging calm as geopolitical tensions escalate in the Middle East, a region that China depends on heavily for oil. On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi “took a telephone call” from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to an English-language statement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. China urges the U.S. to seek resolutions through dialogue instead of abusing force.” “If there is serious chaos in the Middle East, the US wou

Luo Huining, former Governor of Qinghai Province of China leaves after meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs S. M. Krishna in New Delhi. The new head of China’s liaison office in Hong Kong, the most senior mainland official based in the territory, said on Monday China was the strongest backer of the Asian financial hub, which he hoped would return to “the right path”. Luo Huining, 65, replaced Wang Zhimin, who had held the post since 2017.

A man looks at a screen showing global stock market information on the street in Tokyo, Japan. Asia markets mostly fell on Monday following heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Japanese shares returned for their first day of trade with the benchmark Nikkei 225 declining 1.91% to close at 23,204.86 while the Topix index fell 1.39% to 1,697.49. In South Korea, the Kospi index fell 0.98% to 2,155.07. Oil prices surged 3% on Friday on worries that potential conflict between the U.S.