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Gold Gains on Escalating Middle East Tensions

Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelry shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh November 4, 2009. REUTERS/Ajay Verma/File Photo
Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelry shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh November 4, 2009. REUTERS/Ajay Verma/File Photo
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Gold Gains on Escalating Middle East Tensions

Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelry shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh November 4, 2009. REUTERS/Ajay Verma/File Photo
Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelry shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh November 4, 2009. REUTERS/Ajay Verma/File Photo

Gold prices rose on Friday as international strikes on Yemen added to fears of further escalation in the Middle East conflict, pushing up bullion's safe-haven appeal.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $2,033.89 per ounce, as of 0427 GMT. However, it has fallen 0.6% so far this week.
US gold futures rose nearly 1% to $2,038.00, Reuters reported.
Attention will be focused on heightened geopolitical tensions that are "one notch up in the Middle East, and is supporting gold prices above the 50-day moving average of $2,015," said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at OANDA.
The United States and Britain launched strikes against sites linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen.
In wider financial markets, Asian shares were cautious on Friday as the escalating conflict in the Red Sea region sent oil prices surging.
Data on Thursday showed US consumer prices rose more than expected in December, but excluding volatile food and energy costs, the pace of price increases fell to 3.9% from 4% on an annual basis.
Despite hotter headline CPI, core inflation remained muted, sending 10-year Treasury yields below 4%, showing "data is not that hot, helping support gold," Wong said.
Market bets of 150 basis points (bps) of Fed rate cuts this year were undeterred, with traders pricing in a 73% chance that they could begin as soon as March, according to IRPR, LSEG's interest rate probability app. However, Fed officials on Thursday signaled inadequate progress on the inflation front for the central bank to start cutting rates as early as March.
The Fed is expected to hold its policy rate steady at its Jan. 30-31 meeting.
Investors will next look out for US producer prices data, due at 1330 GMT.
Spot silver rose 0.4% to $22.82 per ounce, platinum gained 0.2% to $917.48, and palladium ticked 0.1% higher to $989.29.

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China Mulls Draft Law to Promote Private Sector Development

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
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China Mulls Draft Law to Promote Private Sector Development

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)

Chinese lawmakers are deliberating a draft of the country's first basic law specifically focused on the development of the private sector, the country’s Xinhua news agency reported.

“The law will be conducive to creating a law-based environment that is favorable to the growth of all economic sectors, including the private sector,” said Justice Minister He Rong, while explaining the draft on Saturday during the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature.

The draft private sector promotion law covers areas such as fair competition, investment and financing environments, scientific and technological innovation, regulatory guidance, service support, rights and interests protection and legal liabilities.

The draft has incorporated suggestions solicited from representatives of the private sector, experts, scholars and the general public, the minister said.

China left its benchmark lending rates unchanged as expected at the monthly fixing on Friday.

Persistent deflationary pressure and tepid credit demand call for more stimulus to aid the broad economy, but narrowing interest margin on the back of fast falling yields and a weakening yuan limit the scope for immediate monetary easing.

The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.10%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.60%.

In a Reuters poll of 27 market participants conducted this week, all respondents expected both rates to stay unchanged.

Morgan Stanley said in a note that the 2025 budget deficit and mix are more positive than expected and suggest Beijing is willing to set a high growth target and record fiscal budget to boost market confidence, but further policy details are unlikely before March.

Last Friday, data released by the country's central bank said total assets of China's financial institutions had risen to 489.15 trillion yuan (about $68.03 trillion) by the end of third quarter this year.

The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 8%, said the People's Bank of China.

Of the total, the assets of the banking sector reached 439.52 trillion yuan, up 7.3% year on year, while the assets of securities institutions rose 8.7% year on year to 14.64 trillion yuan.

The insurance sector's assets jumped 18.3% year on year to 35 trillion yuan, the data showed.

The liabilities of the financial institutions totaled 446.51 trillion yuan, up 8% year on year, according to the central bank.

Separately, data released by the National Energy Administration on Thursday showed that China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose by 7.1% year on year in the first 11months of the year.

During the period, power consumption of the country's primary industries increased by 6.8% year on year, while that of its secondary and tertiary sectors rose by 5.3% and 10.4%, respectively.

Residential power usage saw strong growth of 11.6% during this period, the administration said.

In November alone, power usage climbed 2.8% from one year earlier, according to the data.