Gold prices rose from a one-week low, supported by soft U.S. employment numbers, while investors assessed the likelihood of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December ahead of more delayed U.S. data releases this week.
Alphabet’s Google launched the latest version of its artificial intelligence model Gemini, emphasizing that the new capabilities will be immediately available in several profit-generating products like its search engine.
Wall Street’s main indexes struggled for direction, ahead of a packed week that includes AI giant Nvidia’s earnings and the resumption of government data releases, while Alphabet rose after Berkshire Hathaway disclosed a stake in the company.
The dollar edged higher against the euro and the yen as traders exercised caution ahead of what could be a busy week with the long-awaited return of U.S. economic data. Market reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff U-turn on more than 200 food products was muted.
Alphabet shares rallied to a record high after Berkshire Hathaway’s new stake provided an endorsement of the tech giant’s AI efforts amid heightened worries over a looming bubble. The purchase of shares worth about $4.93 billion is one of the final major investments under Warren Buffett.
Oil prices settled more than 2% higher on Friday as Russia’s port halted oil exports following a Ukrainian drone attack that hit an oil depot in the Russian energy hub, stoking supply concerns. Brent rose 1.2% on the week, and WTI posted a weekly gain of around 0.6%.
