Commodities
Commodities: Gold futures slip as US dollar jumps, Brent higher after Iranian threats
Metals futures took a hit at the end of the week on the heels of a better than expected report on the state of the US jobs market, but energy futures gained after a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards called on his government to seize a British oil tanker in retaliation for the recent detention of an Iranian vessel when it was crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
US non-farm payrolls rise by 224,000 in June, calling Fed cuts in question
Hiring in the US picked up by a greater than expected 224,000 last month, leading some economists to trim their forecasts for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve at its next policy meeting on 30-31 July, whilst others dug in their heels against widespread predictions for imminent easing, anticipating instead that a move would come in September.
Week ahead: US-China trade talks, Fed's Powell in focus
US and China trade talks will be in the spotlight over the coming week, following reports of already ongoing talks by phone and that face-to-face conversations are to be scheduled.
Chinese steel mills band together against rising iron ore prices
Leading Chinese steel firms have banded together to investigate whether or not "non-market factors" were driving recent record iron ore prices as they called on the government to maintain stability across the market.
German factory orders drop much more than expected in May
German manufacturing orders fell much more than expected in May, driven by a slump in foreign orders, according to figures released by Destatis on Friday.
Ferrexpo production jumps as pellet prices leap
Ferrexpo on Friday reported a return to quarterly pellet production and said it expected a 4% jump in first-half sales volumes as average prices received climbed due to stronger iron ore prices and premiums for iron ore pellets.