Platinum Market Update

January platinum PLF5, +0.51%  rose $6.30 to $1,205.60 an ounce, while December palladium PAZ4, +0.87%  gave up $2.80 to $767.15 an ounce. High-grade copper for December delivery HGZ4, +0.17%  lost three cents to $3.02 a pound.

Oil halts losing streak, pushes higher ahead of OPEC meeting

Crude-oil futures rose Thursday, snapping a string of losses as investors awaited for the upcoming OPEC meeting — just a week away — for a firmer direction on supplies and thus on prices.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in December CLZ4, +1.39%  rose $1, or 1.3%, to settle at $75.58 a barrel. Futures on Wednesday had closed lower for a third straight session.

January Brent crude LCOF5, +0.34%  on London’s ICE Futures exchange rose $1.23, or 1.6%, to $79.33 a barrel. Brent has also closed lower for three consecutive sessions.

Gold extends losses as Swiss vote concerns weigh

Gold prices extended losses for a second session Thursday, continuing to feel pressure from news that a proposal which could require the Swiss central bank to ramp up its holdings in bullion is losing support.

Gold for December delivery GCZ4, +0.20% fell $3 to settle at $1,190.90 an ounce, reducing an earlier loss that saw it down as much as $16. December silver SIZ4, +0.67%  was off 16 cents to $16.14 an ounce. When interest rates rise, demand for gold weakens since it does not pay interest.

Current Market Update

 Here are the latest trading levels for Asia's major stock markets:

 Tokyo (Nikkei Average) down 0.7% 
 Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index) up 0.1% (at break) 
 Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index) up 0.6% (at break) 
 Sydney (S&P/ASX 200) down 0.2% 
 Seoul (Kospi) up 0.3% 
Mumbai (Sensex) flat 
 Taipei (Taiex) up 0.1%

Asian Market Update

Asian markets were mixed Friday with a record close on Wall Street unable to lift investors at the end of a disappointing week that saw Japan plunge into recession and a trumpeted Hong Kong Shanghai exchange link-up fall flat.

The yen made some minor gains against the dollar and euro after hitting multi-year lows, but with eyes on next month's general election analysts expect it to resume its downtrend.

Tokyo fell 0.85 per cent and Sydney lost 0.16 per cent while Hong Kong shed 0.17 per cent. But Shanghai edged up 0.12 per cent and Seoul put on 0.20 per cent.