BANGKOK – U.S. futures edged lower and Asian shares were mixed Friday, with Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 trading near record high levels.
The prices of gold and silver surged to records, extending their sharp gains for the year as investors including central banks have stocked up on the precious metals, which are viewed as safe havens in times of uncertainty.
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The price of gold gained 0.8% to 4,538.80 a troy ounce, while silver jumped 4.5% to $74.90 per ounce.
Earlier surges in gold prices reflected worries during the U.S. government shutdown. Expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates further in the new year, weakening the dollar against other currencies, have also fueled buying of gold.
“Gold is doing what gold does when the world loses its anchor: it becomes the anchor,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a recent report. “For centuries, gold has been the one asset that doesn’t blink. When politics goes sideways, when currencies fray, when inflation eats the furniture, gold is the one piece of collateral the world still treats as final.”
In share trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.8% to 50,822.25 after the Cabinet approved a record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming fiscal year. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government aims to fortify Japan’s strike-back capability and coastal defenses with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals at a time of aggravated tensions with China.
Heavy industries and high-tech companies led the advance.
The dollar rose to 156.09 Japanese yen from 155.83 yen. The euro climbed to $1.1787 from $1.1785.
Markets in mainland China slipped, with the Shanghai Composite index shedding 0.2% to 3,952.09.
South Korea’s Kospi picked up 0.3% to 4,120.04, while Taiwan’s Taiex jumped 0.6%.
Shares fell in Thailand and India.
Elsewhere the region, markets in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia were closed. Most European markets will remain closed Friday, while Wall Street will reopen to a full day of trading after the Christmas holidays. Volumes will likely remain light since most investors have closed out their positions for the year.
In other dealings early Friday, U.S. crude oil gained 6 cents to $58.41 a barrel and Brent crude added 4 cents to $61.84 a barrel.
Oil prices have fallen recently after spiking near $70 a barrel in June.
The price of bitcoin rose 1.7% to 89,300.
