New York — Stocks around the world fell sharply on Thursday and investors moved into the yen, gold and other safe-haven assets amid more aggressive talk between the United States and North Korea. MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.77%, on track for its third straight day of declines as it pulled further back from all-time highs. The Japanese yen hit an eight-week high against the US dollar, while spot gold also reached a two-month high. North Korea said it was completing plans to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the US Pacific island territory of Guam in an unusually detailed threat that further heightened tensions with the US. The rise in geopolitical tensions this week, which heightened after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned North Korea that it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the US, has drawn investor attention away from second-quarter corporate earnings season, which is winding down. "The story today is North Korea ...
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