Last week, attention was centered on unexpected headline U.S. job gains and the narrowly passed budget bill, while PMI readings improved across major economies and trade policy developments continue to draw focus. However, headline US payrolls belied a weaker core. Markets and gold mostly shrugged off the data barrage. Global equities were mixed, with U.S. benchmarks hitting new highs and European stocks fluctuating; Treasury yields rose, the dollar weakened further, and oil prices eased. Gold rebounded last week. While uncertainty abounds this week, gold remains at risk of a more protracted correction/consolidation ... (full story)