Stocks and gold on the up but prospect of US-China trade war damps dollar
London — Stocks, gold and most metals headed for a fourth week of gains on Friday, as fresh political woes for US President Donald Trump and the prospect of a trade war with China kept the dollar depressed ahead of US payrolls figures. European markets got off to an underwhelming start, with Britain’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 all lower. The FTSE 100 was nevertheless on course for its best week in two months, having been boosted by the latest tumble in the pound. The dollar, meanwhile, was down at $1.18 to the euro and near the two-and-a-half year low touched earlier this week. It has come under fresh pressure following reports that US Special Counsel Robert Mueller has put together a "grand jury" to investigate allegations of Russian interference in last November’s presidential election. Sources told Reuters that the jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included US President Donald Trump’s son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer. ...
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