Oct 16 (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 was muted on Friday as worries about cracks in the AI ​trade pressured semiconductor stocks, while gains in banks limited overall declines.The S&P 500 information technology (.SPLRCT), was the biggest drag ‌on the index, down 0.9%. Nvidia-backed CoreWeave (CRWV.O), opens new tab slipped 7.6% on lingering concerns about the data centre operator's debt load. Its bonds sold off sharply this week, pushing yields to above 15%.Other neocloud firms Nebius Group (NBIS.O), and Iren (IREN.O), dipped over 5.5% each.

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Service sector business leaders reported ​widespread pricing woes in October and a downbeat outlook for activity, according to a report ‌released Friday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

BANGKOK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The artificial intelligence boom is setting off a global race for money, forcing central bankers to contemplate a future in which interest rates stay ​higher and governments need to tighten their belts after an era of largesse.

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - US import prices increased more than expected in September, boosted by higher costs for ​energy products and a range of other ‌goods, further evidence of rising inflation pressures as the Middle East conflict persists.

OTTAWA, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Canadian home sales extended their decline in September, after a drop in August, ​as higher mortgage rates and expectations of ‌a Bank of Canada rate hike dampened activity, the Canadian Real Estate Association said in its monthly note on Friday.National ​home sales declined 2.3% month-over-month in September ​following a drop of 0.7% in August.Sales were ⁠down 7.7% on an annual basis, without seasonal ​adjustment.The industry group's Home Price Index was down 0.4% ​on a monthly basis and was down 3.4% from a year ago.

LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Friday and were heading for ​weekly gains on uncertainty over Middle East supplies and a larger-than-expected draw from US crude ‌stockpiles, while European diesel margins dropped after an IEA move to release more of the fuel.

Oct 16 (Reuters) - The dollar was on track for its first weekly decline in more ​than a month against the euro and the yen, as investors shifted their focus to the US rate outlook while assessing the ‌impact of Wednesday's stock market selloff.

NEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Stumbles in the market-leading AI trade are set to test investor confidence in the rally in the coming week as Wall Street focuses on quarterly results due from key ​players including Meta Platforms (META.O).

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Futures tied to Canada's resource-heavy main stock index edged higher on Friday as rising metals prices helped sentiment, while investors ​weighed Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's warning on persistent ‌energy-price pressures on interest rates.December futures on the S&P/TSX index rose 0.4% at 6:45 a.m. ET (1045 GMT).The materials sector (.GSPTTMT), is poised to extend gains as ​gold and silver prices riseMacklem said Canada has not raised interest ​rates yet but the longer elevated energy prices go on "the harder ⁠that gets"

Oct 15 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said on Thursday the Fed might need to ​hike interest rates more aggressively if there were to be a ‌notable deterioration in the public’s inflation expectations.

Trade house Mercuria has delivered 12,000 metric tons of copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Project Vault, the US government’s critical minerals reserve, this week, Mercuria’s global head of metals told a conference on Thursday.Announced in February by US President Donald Trump, Project Vault aims to stockpile critical minerals and alleviate supply crunches for a range of manufacturers that have for years been overly reliant on Chinese supplies.

Gold Fields’ (JSE: GFI) CEO played down speculation on Thursday that the South African gold producer will raise its offer for Northern Star (ASX: NST), saying the Australian miner first needs to acknowledge that it sees a potential path to a tie-up.Gold Fields has embarked on a long-planned road show in Australia this month, where CEO Mike Fraser is aiming to boost its profile with investors in the country accounting for around half of its business.

NEW YORK/LONDON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The dollar retreated from an 18-month ​peak on Thursday as investors looked past strong US inflation and spending data to focus on a shakeout ‌in the securities of AI data center firms.

Iron ore prices slipped for a third straight session on Thursday to their lowest level in more than two years, weighed down by persistent concerns over weak demand in top consumer China and prospects of growing supply of the key steelmaking ingredient.The most-traded iron ore contract on China’s Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) recouped some earlier losses to end daytime trade down 0.44% at 671.5 yuan ($100.36) a metric ton. It hit its lowest since September 24, 2024 at 667 yuan earlier in the session.

 In 1899, the Mt Lyell mine in Tasmania produced some 9,500 metric tons of copper. That made it the largest copper mine in the British Empire, though small by today’s standards.In September, after 12 years idle, owner Sibanye-Stillwater (JSE: SSW) approved a restart of Mt Lyell, putting it among a string of copper mines around the world being revived due to expectations for a structural shortage of the industrial metal.

PARIS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency ​said on Thursday that ‌the total amount of stocks to ​be released will ​exceed the original 400 ⁠million barrels agreed ​upon in March ​and its members have committed to speed up the ​release of ​the remaining volumes.IEA have agreed ‌to ⁠take all necessary steps to complete the remaining releases ​of around ​100 ⁠million barrels, including over 20 ​million barrels ​of ⁠diesel, in a timely manner consistent ⁠with ​national circumstances, ​the agency added.Reporting by Forrest ​Crellin and Inti Landauro

Oct 15 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq fell to near one-month lows on Thursday, weighed by a worsening selloff in AI-linked ‌stocks on fears rising interest rates could impact artificial-intelligence investments, and fresh data pointing to building US price pressures.The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq marked their biggest one-day fall since July on Wednesday after hotter-than-expected consumer inflation data fueled expectations of further interest-rate hikes from the US Federal Reserve, dragging on tech stocks.

HONG KONG, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A market selloff is forcing companies driving the global AI boom to delay fundraising plans or pay more for capital as investors demand proof they can absorb rising interest rates and computing-power costs.

Oct 15 (Reuters) - US semiconductor stocks were ​set to lose $2 ‌trillion in market value on ​Thursday in ​the steep selloff since ⁠last week, ​driven by rising ​bets of an interest-rate hike and ​concerns over ​the cost of the ‌AI ⁠buildout.The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor index (.SOX), was last down ​3.3%, ​adding ⁠to a $1.64 trillion wipeout ​over the ​past ⁠six sessions.Reporting by Shashwat ⁠Chauhan ​and Medha ​Singh in Bengaluru; Editing ​by Arun Koyyur

Oct 15 (Reuters) - Gold climbed more ​than 1% on Thursday, looking set to snap three sessions of losses, ‌supported by a weaker dollar and lower US Treasury yields while expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike this month remained subdued despite hotter-than-expected inflation data.