INFLATION

The Federal Reserve is undertaking a dangerous gamble by keeping rates at near zero for so long, and it must start raising rates or risk damaging the nascent U.S. recovery, a top Federal Reserve official said on Friday.

Retail sales rebounded in July but showed hints of lingering economic softness, as did inflation data showing underlying price pressures stuck at their lowest level since the 1960s.

Gold retreated from the one-month high it hit in earlier trade as the dollar, European equities and U.S. stock futures all lifted from lows after U.S. retail sales and inflation data. It remained supported by overall jitters over the outlook for the global economy, however, as investors spooked by disappointing U.S. economic data turned to the metal as a safe store of value. Spot gold was bid at $1,213.10 an ounce at 9:06 a.m. EDT, against $1,211.20 late in New York on Thursday. Earlier it rose...

U.S. retail sales rebounded in July but showed hints of lingering economic softness underscored by separate figures indicating underlying inflation pressures stuck at their lowest level since the 1960s.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment insurance unexpectedly rose last week to its highest level in close to six months, a fresh signal of a weak jobs market.

The Bank of England left the door open on Wednesday for more monetary easing, cutting its forecast for UK economic growth and predicting that inflation would fall well below its 2 percent target in two years.

Food groups Nestle and CSM warned of a tougher second half due to rising costs but said price increases and forward buying will mitigate the impact of higher wheat and other commodity prices.

British inflation will fall well below its 2 percent target in two years, even if interest rates remain at record lows, the Bank of England said on Wednesday, leaving scope for further policy easing if the economy worsens.

Corrects level of interest rate to 0.5 percent from 2.0 in 11th paragraph

Gold fell in Europe on Wednesday as a 1 percent rise in the dollar outweighed potentially supportive news that the U.S. Federal Reserve is holding interest rates at record lows and extending quantitative easing.

The United States faces a rising risk of deflation that could bolster prices of safe-haven U.S. government bonds, while hurting the prices of real estate and stocks, the world's biggest bond fund management company said on Tuesday.

Stocks declined on Tuesday due to investors' uncertainty whether the Federal Reserve will announce action to boost the U.S. economy as the recovery appears to be losing steam.

U.S. stocks declined on Tuesday due to investors' uncertainty whether the Federal Reserve will announce action to boost the U.S. economy as the recovery appear to be losing steam.

Non-farm productivity fell for the first time in 1-1/2 years during the second quarter and labor costs barely edged up, according to a Labor Department report on Tuesday that underlined a slowing pace of economic recovery.

The dollar rose on Friday and world stocks slipped as investors stayed cautious ahead of likely moves by the U.S. Federal Reserve to warn about and possibly prop up a softening economic recovery.

The dollar staged a rebound against major currencies on Tuesday as traders pared short positions on looming uncertainty over whether the U.S. Federal Reserve will start a new phase of quantitative easing to deal with a slowing economy.

Stocks edged higher on Monday, lifted by forecasts one day ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy making meeting that the Fed will resort once more to some mild quantitative easing.

The dollar was on the defensive against major currencies on Monday, as disappointing U.S. jobs data on Friday highlighted a weakening U.S. economic outlook and added to speculation about further monetary easing. Market players refrained from chasing prices aggressively, having already priced in some form of modest easing at the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting on Tuesday.

Even with U.S. interest rates already near zero, Federal Reserve policymakers will still spend much of a meeting on Tuesday discussing ways to offer more rather than less monetary stimulus to the economy.

Suppliers of Russian wheat to Asia are edging nearer to cancelling contracts after Moscow's ban on grain exports, forcing buyers to turn to alternative origins as U.S. wheat futures soar to a 23-month high.

The Bank of England kept interest rates at a record-low 0.5 percent on Thursday, a decision which was no surprise to economists but probably conceals a vigorous debate about whether Britain is at greater risk from slow growth or high inflation.