Bloomberg Gold edged higher as investors assessed the resilience of the global economic recovery, with Covid-19 cases hitting a pandemic record. Bullion is heading for its first annual loss in three years as central banks start to dial back pandemic-era stimulus to contain inflation. The S&P 500 notched its 69th record close of 2021, suggesting investors remain relatively sanguine about …

  Bloomberg Oil rises as investors weighed the rapid spread of Omicron against signs it may be milder than previous variants. Brent futures rise 0.7%, swinging between gains and losses amid thin trading volumes. West Texas Intermediate, which didn’t have a settlement due to a US holiday, falls from Thursday’s level. Daily omicron infections in the US has surpassed those …

  Bloomberg Ten of this year’s most destructive weather events cost a combined $170 billion in damages, according to a new study. Hurricane Ida, a tropical storm that pummeled much of the eastern US with lashing rain in August, killed at least 95 people and cost the economy $65 billion. A month earlier, floods in Europe caused 240 deaths and …