Best Gold Stocks to Buy Now: AABB, GOLD, GDX 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Gold Prices Slip as Oil Rally Fuels Inflation Fears, Strengthens Dollar 
Japan Core Inflation Seen Rising in June, Strengthening BOJ Rate Hike Outlook 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Australian government bonds slumped across the curve on Monday following better-than-expected April retail sales data, pushing the 10-year yield to 1-week high. Also, heavy sell-off in the U.S. Treasuries pressurized the world’s 11th largest economy’s debt market.
The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year Note, which moves inversely to its price, rose 4-1/2 basis points to 2.731 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year Note jumped 2 basis points to 3.240 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year up 5-1/2 basis points to 2.054 percent by 03:00GMT.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), sales rose by 0.4 percent to $26.56 billion in seasonally adjusted terms, topping forecasts for an increase of 0.3 percent. The result was an improvement on March when retail sales were flat.
In the United States, Treasuries found downward pressure to finish off the week, amidst a much calmer Friday session as markets absorbed the better than expected May employment report and further digested news of political stability returning to Italy. With respect to data, markets were clearly receptive to the 223K increase in non-farm payrolls, alongside a decrease in the headline unemployment rate to 3.8 percent, lowest since April 2000.
With respect to inflation, hawks were once again handed more ammunition with average hourly earnings increasing +0.3 percent, pointing to resumed wage pressures currently making their way through the labour market. Markets now look ahead to a lighter flow of data in the week ahead, largely highlighted by April trade balance data on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded 0.07 percent higher at 6,033.5 by 03:15 GMT, while at 03:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly AUD Strength Index remained neutral at 12.62 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
FxWirePro launches Absolute Return Managed Program. For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/invest
