Futures

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• PRECIOUS-Gold eases as stocks retreat, dollar strengthens

  Spot gold eased 0.1 percent to $1,664.55 an ounce by 1059 GMT, while U.S. gold futures for April delivery were down 0.3 percent to $1,665.50 an ounce. In Japan, benchmark gold on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange hit a record high on the back of a weak yen on expectations the Bank of Japan will continue loosening monetary policy.

• PRECIOUS-Gold crawls up but economic recovery hopes limit gains

  *Spot gold neutral in $1,657.54- $1,681.70/ oz- technicals. Investors remain fairly optimistic in the U.S. recovery, which makes gold less attractive, even though recent data is rather a mixed bag, "said Chen Min, an analyst at Jinrui Futures in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen."

• NYMEX-U.S. crude steady after longest winning streak since 2004

  SINGAPORE, Feb 4- U.S. crude futures steadied above $97 per barrel in early Asian trade on Monday after data from China and the United States last week reinforced expectations that economic growth in the world's two biggest energy consumers may be better this year than last.

• SOFTS-Sugar pierces two-week high as shorts run for cover

  NEW YORK/ LONDON, Feb 1- Raw sugar futures on ICE rose to 19 cents for the first time in two weeks on Friday on short-covering and improving sentiment, although prices pared gains after hitting technical resistance.

• Cotton rises for 5th week, longest rally since early 2011

  The most-active March contract on ICE Futures U.S. rose 0.03 cent, or 0.04 percent, to settle at 82.98 cents per lb, after hitting an intraday high of 83.45 cents.

• Embassy Explosion Sends Oil Prices Higher 

  

  CNBC's Sharon Epperson reports oil is hitting record levels. Also, Paul Sankey, Deutsche Bank analyst, weighs in with how to play the oil space, amid growing unrest in Turkey.

• US STOCKS-Futures point to higher open after payrolls data

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S. stock index futures were poised to open higher Friday as a slight disappointment in the January payroll report was offset by a strong upward revision for jobs in December.

• US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Futures jump in wake of jobs report

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S. stock index futures added to gains on Friday in the wake of a payrolls report that showed modest jobs growth in January and upward revisions in December and November. S&P 500 futures rose 11.8 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration of the contract.

• US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Futures hold gains after payrolls report

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S. stock index futures held on to gains on Friday after data showed U.S. job growth grew modestly in January and that gains in the previous two months were bigger than initially reported.

• US STOCKS-Futures climb ahead of payrolls report

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S. stock index futures gained on Friday as investors anticipated data that was expected to show that U.S. jobs growth picked up in January. If the jobs figure is weaker than expected, the market could be vulnerable to a pullback, tipping the S&P 500 off its best monthly performance since October 2011.

• US STOCKS-Futures higher ahead of payrolls report

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- U.S. stock index futures were higher on Friday as investors looked ahead to a labor market report expected to show jobs growth picked up in January. The report is due at 8:30 a.m. EST. *The market could be vulnerable to a pullback if the report comes in weaker than estimated, with the S&P 500 coming off its best monthly performance since October 2011.

• Expert Looks For Additional Dollar Weakness 

  

  Alan Knuckman, Optionshop market strategist, provides an outlook on the markets after a strong January run.

• METALS-LME copper near 4-mth top after China factory data

  SINGAPORE, Feb 1- London copper rose on Friday to hold near four-month highs struck the session before after China's factory output grew in January, bolstering confidence in a global economic recovery. *The most-traded May copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged down 0.13 percent to 59,480 yuan a tonne.

• NYMEX-Crude steady after China PMI, in longest weekly winning run since 2004

  SEOUL, Feb 1- U.S. crude oil futures steadied on Friday, giving up early gains, after China's official factory activity gauge missed market expectations.

• Cotton slides, but posts 10.5 pct monthly rise in January

  *Cotton slides on low U.S. export data, China cancellations. NEW YORK, Jan 31- Cotton futures slid on Thursday after U.S. government sales data revealed cancellations in orders from China, as a 10.5 percent rise in prices for the month of January discouraged buyers in the world's largest textile market.

• Unusual Natural Gas Trade Raises Questions

  

  Analysis firm Nanex said that less than a second before the world knew government information about natural gas in storage volume, someone sold about 250,000 futures in a series of transactions worth a total of about $4.6 million.

• UPDATE 7-Brent crude rises, premium widens over US crude

  NEW YORK, Jan 31- Brent crude oil futures rose to three-month highs on Thursday, widening its premium over U.S. crude, concerns about rising crude stockpiles in the U.S. Traders cited concerns about stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for the U.S. contract, which have pushed to record highs.

• Expect Record Gas Prices: Pro 

  

  Are record gas prices coming? Gas hovers above $3/gallon. Profiting from pain at the pump, with CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis and the Futures Now Traders.

• Gold: What's the Play Ahead of Jobs? 

  

  Futures Now traders Rich Ilczyszyn and Anthony Grisanti reveal how they¿re playing gold ahead of jobs data,.with CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis and the Futures Now Traders.

• Pain for Gold Just Starting: Pro 

  

  Why can't gold rally. Gold's next move and a discussion about why the precious metal seems to have lost its luster, with CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis and the Futures Now Traders.